text:
he published on the magazine's web site about the agency's role in monitoring Occupy Wall Street (OWS), claiming it was riddled with "inaccuracies," according to hundreds of pages of internal DHS emails related to OWS Truthout obtained under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request we filed last October.Senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials debated whether they should pressure award-winning Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings to "pull down" a report
But it wasn't Hastings' February 28 report that was incorrect. Rather, it was an unauthorized five-page internal report prepared last October by DHS employees, who acted "outside the scope of their authority" and violated "privacy standards," according to the emails, about the potential threat posed by OWS that was flawed. The internal report strongly suggested DHS had been mining social media, such as OWS's Twitter feeds, for intelligence on the protest movement.
That document, which Hastings had accurately represented in his story, formed the basis for his Rolling Stone exclusive. It was found in more than 5 million hacked emails from private intelligence firm Stratfor that Wikileaks released earlier this year. Hastings obtained the internal report from WikiLeaks, which entered into an investigative partnership with Rolling Stone.
It was Hastings' characterization of the internal report that struck a nerve with top officials at DHS, who spent two days discussing how they should publicly respond to it, according to the heavily redacted emails, which also show that DHS learned about Hastings' story through a Google alert that contained the keywords, "Department of Homeland Security."
Robert Davis, a former USA Today reporter who left the news business in 2008 to work for DHS in its Office of External Affairs, proposed issuing a statement in response to Hastings' report.
"Rolling Stone has posted a blog with a link to a document with the DHS seal and NPPD/IP [National Protection and Programs Directorate/Infrastructure Program] markings that was posted to HSIN [DHS's Homeland Security Information Network] without approval. Here is the draft statement I would like to send to PA [office of public affairs] asap," Davis said in a February 28 email he sent to senior DHS officials after Hastings' story went live.
The statement was redacted from the emails DHS turned over to Truthout. HSIN is an internal "web-based portal" controlled by DHS where information is shared between state, local and federal officials. DHS's website says NPPD's mission is "to advance the Department's risk-reduction mission," which "requires an integrated approach that encompasses both physical and virtual threats and their associated human elements."
The emails show that Hastings contacted DHS via email on February 28 at 5:14 pm, about 90 minutes before his story was published, seeking a comment about the internal report. In his inquiry, according to one DHS email, he noted that Stratfor had the document. But DHS officials said in internal emails they were unaware how Stratfor obtained it.
"We have no insight into why Stratfor was mentioned or if they somehow obtained a copy," William Flynn, DHS's acting assistant secretary in the office of infrastructure protection, wrote in an email dated February, after Hastings was interviewed about his story and mentioned the hacked Stratfor emails. "Records indicate that they do not have a hsin account."
"Who has access to the network?" states a February 29 email written by an official whose name is redacted that was sent to Peter Boogaard, DHS's deputy press secretary, Brent Colburn, assistant secretary for public affairs and Matthew Chandler, DHS press secretary. "Also, how does it violate privacy policy if it's [the information about OWS cited in the internal report] is all from articles?"
"It's on HSIN - basically all fusion centers and a fair number of state and locals," Chandler responded. "The doc was released by wikileaks however."
"And we stated a number of times that our privacy standards precluded us from monitoring the protests," Boogaard added.
Several of the names in Boogaard's and Chandler's reply emails were also redacted.
Flynn explained how the internal report ended up in DHS's web-based information sharing network.
"Background: IP [Infrastructure program] and (POD) [Partnership and Outreach division] complies an open source report on critical infrastructure which is posted to HSIN," Flynn wrote in an email to top DHS officials February 29. "The contract for this service recently changed and the new contractor inappropriately conducted some 'analysis' to the open source information (in this case). When it was brought to my attention the report was pulled (other steps have also been taken). However the fed staff undertook a thorough review and every source is traditional media. The report references social media resources but that was found in traditional sources. No monitoring of social media took place."
In response to a query from a colleague about whether the internal report Hastings wrote about was indeed posted to HSIN, Michael Beland, chief of staff in DHS's office of infrastructure protection, said, "We are still working on the dates, but, based upon the document and our recollection, it was posted to hsin and one cannot access the materials on hsin without a password. Once we get the dates, we'll pass them along, but that may not be before you push this [statement] out."
The publicity surrounding the internal report upset DHS employees in the Intelligence & Analysis (I&A) division, who worked hard "to make sure I&A adn the fusion centers didn't create any reports like this," Scott Matthews, a senior privacy analyst for intelligence at I&A, wrote in a February 29 email to NPPD officials.
I&A is "not very happy (me too) ..." Matthews wrote.
Caitlin Durkovich, NPPD's chief of staff, suggested reasoning with Hastings.
"I think we should consider calling Hastings and help him understand our mission," she wrote immediately after his story was published.
A day later, after Hastings' story started to attract attention on social media and received coverage by blogs and independent news organizations, Durkovich sent another email to her colleagues.
"I think we need to pick up the phone, and call Hastings. National security is his beat, but he can be provocative so we need to have a clear sey [sic] of tps [talking points]. Let's explain our mission, to include what FPS's [DHS's federal protective service's] role has been in OWS. And push back on the inaccuracies," Durkovich wrote.
A report Truthout published earlier this year based on other OWS-related documents obtained from DHS showed that FPS, which is DHS's police force, removed and arrested protesters in Portland who were gathering on federal property.
John Sandweg, special counselor to Napolitano, agreed with Durkovich. He said in a February 28 email to a dozen senior DHS officials, "Definitely think that the more we can push back on inaccuracies the better. That said, assuming [Hastings] isn't going to pull down the blog post, with other similar privacy related issues out there, we need a clear statement that explains that this [internal] report was drafted in violation of our privacy standards."
Boogaard also suggested the agency "oush [sic] back stronger."
"We never approved this approach and the individuals who piblished [sic] it [the internal DHS report] did so without approval from nppd leadership," Boogaard wrote in a February 29 email to Davis, Durkovich and other DHS officials.
Boogaard responded to Durkovich by saying he would be "happy to talk with him [Hastings], but need the talkers."
"Also, still think we need the pushback statement," Boogaard wrote in an email to Durkovich and other senior DHS officials. Durkovich characterized a statement Boogaard circulated internally the day Hastings' story was posted on Rolling Stone's website as "over reacting [sic]," according to an email Boogaard sent to officials in Napolitano's office and in the public affairs division.
"I disagree," Boogaard said about Durkovich's characterization of the prepared statement, "but wanted to make sure others didn't have a similar opinion."
It's unclear if Boogaard or any other DHS official ended up speaking with Hastings as Durkovich had suggested or attempted to contact him. Reached by Truthout Tuesday afternoon, Hastings said he could not comment about the internal discussions revolving around his report without first receiving approval from Rolling Stone, which he was unable to obtain by the time this story was published. [UPDATE 8/1/2012: Hastings spoke to Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, Wednesday evening about the DHS emails that called into question his report on OWS. UPDATE 8/5/2012: In a separate interview with DemocracyNow, Hastings said DHS officials never contacted him.]
Boogaard later said in another email he did not believe "it is to our benefit to re-engage with Rolling Stone." So, he and other DHS officials sought approval from the White House for the statement they had prepared, according to a February 29 email Boogaard sent to a colleague who inquired about the status of the statement.
"Plan is to push back on the inaccuracies and issue the statement, but we are waiting on the wh [White House]," Boogaard said.
However, the plan changed. Boogaard said the statement would only be used "for any requests [for comment] that follow." But in another email he said the plan changed again and that the "wh [White House] doesn't want us to react [to Hastings' report] unless we get more requests" for comment from "traditional media," and, finally, "specific requests," which apparently never happened.
The emails also show Suzanne Spaulding, DHS's deputy undersecretary in the NPPD who oversees FPS, was also asked to review Hastings' report and the statement the agency issued in response.
Social Media Monitoring Claims Disputed
Hastings reported that the internal DHS document "goes on to sum up the history of Occupy Wall Street and assess its 'impact' on everything from financial services to government facilities. Many of the observations are benign, and appear to have been culled from publicly available sources."
"But the DHS also appears to have scoured OWS-related Twitter feeds for much of their information," Hastings wrote. "The report includes a special feature on what it calls Occupy's 'social media and IT usage,' and provides an interactive map of protests and gatherings nationwide - borrowed, improbably enough, from the lefty blog Daily Kos. 'Social media and the organic emergence of online communities,' the report notes, have driven the rapid expansion of the OWS movement.'"
Durkovich took issue with that assertion. In a February 29 email she sent to her DHS colleagues, which included Amy Shlossman, Napolitano's deputy chief of staff, Durkovich said much of the information contained in the internal report's social media section was "derived" from Daily Kos.
"If you go to the Daily Kos site, it appears that much of the social media section was derived for the [sic] from the OWS page it keeps," she wrote.
Boogaard suggested, according to another email, that any statement DHS issues should point out that the information in the internal report was generated from "open source media" and not from surveillance of OWS.
Flynn, reiterating previous comments he made in earlier emails, disputed claims in the internal report that DHS monitored social media to gather information about OWS's activities.
"No monitoring of social media took place," Flynn wrote in a February 29 email.
He adds in another email, "Just to be very clear … they did not look at social media. They looked at traditional media reporting which may have been reporting/quoting social media. This is an important distinction."
But Boogaard said regardless of whether the internal report prepared by DHS employees contained information culled from news articles as opposed to direct monitoring of social media it still violated the agency's "privacy standards."
"Just talked to our chief privacy officer," Boogaard wrote February 29 in an email sent to senior DHS officials. "At the very least they violated the situational awareness pii [personal identifiable information] because these individuals did not havew [sic] the authority to be looking at social media and drawing conclusions based on that analysis. That is why we changed the language [in the prepared statement] to privacy standards."
Spaulding, NPPD's deputy undersecretary, however, challenged the chief privacy officer's conclusions. In a February 29 email responding to the one Boogaard sent following his conversation with the chief privacy officer, Spaulding said she spoke with Flynn, who said the contractors that prepared the internal report "were not looking at social media. They execeeded their writ by doing analysis, but it was based on traditional media sources."
In the event "traditional media" contacted DHS about whether the agency was monitoring social media, Boogaard was ready to release a White House-approved "background" statement explaining when DHS monitors social media and for what purpose. "Background" means reporters could use the information but cannot attribute it to a DHS official.
"Congress requires DHS' National Operations Center (NOC) to 'provide situational awareness and establish a common operating picture for the entire federal government and for state, local, and tribal governments as appropriate, in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack and ensure that critical terrorism and disaster-related information reaches government decision makers.' Under this requirement, the NOC monitors social media only for situational awareness purposes during times of crisis, such as a terrorist attack or earthquake."


text:
Designer Genes
The habanada pepper, the farmer's daughter melon, the amber delight squash, the salt and pepper cucumber—all of these new varieties (and more!) were created by Michael Mazourek '99 in his lab and greenhouse at Cornell University. One of the nation's leading plant breeders, Mazourek has turned standard vegetables into genetic works of art that resist disease and drought.
The habanada pepper has no heat (hence the "nada") but lots of flavor. The farmer's daughter melon has a pear-like flavor, and the amber delight squash is a hybrid of honeynut and bugle squashes. The award-winning salt and pepper cucumber has black spines and a sweet flavor that Mazourek describes as crisp and refreshing. The unconventional appearance also makes it less attractive to pests like cucumber beetles.
Mazourek's current projects include purple snap peas and miniaturized vegetables with vivid colors, stripes, and polka dots that he hopes will be more attractive to children and serve as what he calls "well-disguised vitamins."
"In terms of human health and nutrition, anything we can do to make vegetables more attractive and more appealing, anything we can do to boost the nutrient content of the vegetables and get those vegetables consumed is my goal," says Mazourek. "Broccoli needs help."
Developing new varieties of edible plants starts with searching all the material that's out there, getting to know the plants and the characteristics to work with, and building a collection of traits.
"If you take a deck of cards and you deal out enough hands, you will eventually get every possible combination of the cards," says Mazourek. "It's a lot of searching through the combinations. Sometimes there's a nice, scientifically informed approach, and sometimes we are doing the study about how [a trait] works alongside actually building something."
There is also a burgeoning market for the new vegetables, he says.
For example, the honeynut squash, which resists powdery mildew, results in a larger crop yield for growers in the Northeast, and for stores as well. Seeds for honeynut squash used to be available through just one organic seed company, but the squash was so successful that a lot of other companies are now selling it.
"So it's moved from organic to conventional and has become more mainstream," says Mazourek. "[A new plant] needs the right environment to get its foot in the door and develop a following, and then it can make it big."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
More Americans Consuming News via Internet
More Americans Consuming News via Internet
There's been talk about how the Internet will gradually replace traditional newspaper as the medium of choice for news consumption, and a recent study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project confirms this. The study revealed that the Internet is now America's third most popular way of getting news, just behind national and local TV stations.
Ars Technica - The Internet has surpassed newspapers as a primary way for Americans to get news, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. That makes the Internet the third most popular news platform overall, with many connected users taking advantage of nontraditional consumption methods such as social media postings, personalized news feeds, and getting their news on-the-go.
To read the full article, click here.


text:
Jose Mourinho hit out at referee Chris Foy's decision to send him off during Chelsea's ill-tempered defeat to Aston Villa.
The Blues surrendered the initiative to Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League title race thanks to Fabian Delph's 82nd-minute winner.
All in all it was a dreadful trip to the Midlands for Mourinho, whose team are six points ahead of City but they have three matches in hand.
Willian and Ramires were both sent off in the 1-0 defeat and their manager was also dismissed for coming on the pitch in injury-time to remonstrate with the referee over his decision to send off Ramires.
Foy refused to speak to Mourinho, just directing the Chelsea manager to the stands, and again the referee would not speak to the 51-year-old when he approached the official in the tunnel following the feisty contest.
"I tried to speak to Mr Foy twice. I tried to speak on the pitch, and I tried in the dressing rooms," the Chelsea manager said.
"In the dressing rooms I tried to ask politely, can you give me five seconds? And he refused."
A Chelsea spokesman denied rumours Mourinho and Chelsea captain John Terry tried to force their way into the referee's room after the game.
The spokesman said Mourinho asked to speak to Foy as he went into the officials' changing room in the tunnel at Villa Park.
When Foy refused, Mourinho then asked to speak to fourth official Jon Moss as he entered the room, but again he refused. Chelsea say Mourinho did not enter the referee's room at any point.
Mourinho insisted he did not act in an angry manner during his request to speak to the officials in the tunnel.
Fearing another FA charge, Mourinho refused to speak about Foy's decision to send off Ramires and Willian.
"I don't make any comments about any of the incidents in the game. I prefer not to speak," he said.
He was willing to talk about his own dismissal, though.
The Portuguese defended his actions and pointed out that he was not the only one who encroached onto the pitch following Ramires' tackle on Marc Albrighton.
The Chelsea manager also criticised Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor for coming off the bench and getting involved in the multi-player melee that followed Ramires' dismissal.
"It's a big occasion for me to know about the character of Mr Foy, because I want to know what he's going to write about my sending off," Mourinho said.
"I was two-three metres inside the pitch or four-five metres, but there were like 10 persons there. It was me, my two assistants, (Villa boss) Paul Lambert, Paul's assistants
"And there was Agbonlahor, who came in and made an aggression on Ramires from behind.
"I think almost all of us were just trying to calm (things) down and try to stop (it). So if I was sent off because I was on the pitch, I ask why not the others, especially one player that made an aggression on another one, Agbonlahor on Ramires?
"Agbonlahor came from the dug out, he went to Ramires, pulled him from his neck and Agbonlahor was not on pitch he was on the bench."
A charge from the Football Association may now follow. When asked whether he thought he would be punished, an unrepentant Mourinho said: "Me? Me or the ref? No, I don't expect (to be charged) because I did nothing."
After all the drama that occurred in the dying minutes, it was easy to forget the result and the significance of it.
City's win over Hull earlier in the day had piled the pressure on Mourinho's men and they wilted in response.
The Blues lacked creativity in attack. Fernando Torres, starting in place of the injured Samuel Eto'o, could not find a way through Villa's organised back line. Oscar, Willian and Eden Hazard all failed to produce their usual magic.
Mourinho has publicly claimed all along that City are big favourites to win the title.
It is debatable whether he actually believes that or not, but Mourinho was sticking by that stance in his post-match press conference.
"We are not in the title race," Mourinho said.
"We are in a match race. We play every match, we try to win, we think we can win, we give everything to win, sometimes you do, sometimes you don't, but that's our race."
Lambert was happy to see his team win successive home games for the first time since August 2010.
The Villa boss, who refused to comment on any of the dismissals, said: "I thought we were outstanding, regardless of any decision.
"The Willian red card didn't change the game. We did well before it and we deserved the win.
"We were absolutely outstanding. They are a top side vying for the league and the Champions League."
Source: PA


text:
Submission + - Guitar Hero II Update Damaging Xbox 360 Consoles
An anonymous reader writes: The Guitar Hero II saga continues. As reported on GamingExcellence, the latest update to Guitar Hero II is actually damaging Xbox 360 consoles, resulting in blinking red lights of death, and constant freezing. No word from RedOctane or Activision yet.


text:
- About Us
- Kepler's Recommends
- Bestsellers
- Staff Picks
- Aggie's Picks
- Angela's Picks
- Anton's Picks
- Becca's Picks
- Brittany's Picks
- Brynn's Picks
- Caitlin's Picks
- Carolee's Picks
- Christin's Picks
- Cressida's Picks
- Cynthia's Picks
- Ella's Picks
- Jenna's Picks
- Jocelyn's Picks
- Joseline's Picks
- Julie's Picks
- Kelly's Picks
- Lee's Picks
- Leigh's Picks
- Lilly's Picks
- Marilyn's Picks
- Molly's Picks
- Nancy's Picks
- Nicole's Picks
- Praveen's Picks
- Ron's Picks
- Santiago's Picks
- Sina's Picks
- Todd's Pics
- Community Partners
- Book Clubs
- Literary Circle Membership
- Award Winners
- My Account
Fugitive (Amanda Jaffe Series #4) (Paperback)
Email or call for price
Special Order
"Fugitive speeds along well over the posted limit."
—Portland Oregonian
"Margolin knows how to pack in the thrills."
—Tess Gerritsen
In Fugitive, New York Times bestseller Phillip Margolin brings back his most popular protagonist, attorney Amanda Jaffee, star of Wild Justice, Proof Positive, and other spellbinding thrillers. Fugitive ensnares Amanda in a dangerous web of secrets and death when she becomes professionally involved with a con man and possible murderer who's been targeted by an insane and relentless African despot. With page after page of breathtaking excitement that never lets up, Fugitive is Phillip Margolin at his very best, featuring the trademark twists and intensity that inspired the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to proclaim him "A master of heart-pounding suspense."
Praise For…
"Entertaining . . . A plot set on full boil. . . . All will enjoy following the resourceful Amanda as she puts the puzzle pieces together."
"The pages fly in this violent, twisty tale of one man's journey through the legal system, and legal thriller fans will snap up Margolin's latest for their summer beach reads."
"Margolin specializes in plot . . . his new novel Fugitive speeds along well over the posted limit. . . . This is a book to take to the beach."
"Great pace, clever plot . . . all followed by a surprise ending. What more can you ask for?"
"Phillip Margolin's Fugitive is the latest in his string of reliably exciting and fast-moving legal thrillers."
"A smart and skillfully written murder mystery, with solid characters, a terrific setting and a lot of witty dialogue. . . . Fugitive is Margolin at the absolute top of his game."
"A clever plot and surprise ending make this a fine read."
"Margolin smoothly moves between the plots and the time lines. . . . The novel's characters are nicely fleshed out."
"[Margolin's] knowledge of the criminal mind give his novels a credibility not often found in legal thrillers. . . . You'll be captivated by Amanda Jaffe and the way she handles this case."
"[Margolin] outdoes himself in this new one. As always, his great strengths-characters of enough depth and complexity to believe in and like a lot, and creative, fast-moving plotlines-are on display, and so is his superbly clean, fluid style."
"A sizzling international thriller."
"Margolin has written believable characters you can care about, and a meticulous plot that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. This is a highly recommended read."
"A lively courtroom drama to savor . . . that pays tribute to the great detective fiction of old. Phillip Margolin has written a blockbuster with more than just a healthy dash of Hammett to please has reader."


text: I am hoping to be able to use Sabayon on my work computer but we use Hipchat extensively and wondered if anyone have run in on Sabayon? It has installers for Arch, Ubuntu and Fedora, but I can't find anything on Sabayon. Anyone know and/or have experience with running it?


text:
Bojan Redzic is a Serbian comic artist who lives and works in Toronto, Canada. He started his career by contributing to magazines in Europe, South America and Japan, most notably Stripburger. He has published albums like 'E pa Prijatno' (1996) and 'Mrak'.
He is mainly active as a commercial illustrator and animator. Among his clients are Scholastic, Playboy (European Edition), Hallmark, J. Walter Thompson, Publicis, Bates-Saatchi & Saatchi, Nestle, Perollo, Reunited Network SEE, Studio De Lazare, and ICN Pharmaceuticals. He is also a teacher at the Max the Mutt Animation School in Toronto.


text:
Event Type: Other
Start: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 11:00am
End: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 12:00pm
All classes at regular class rates for each facility.
For more information, contact email@example.com or call 843-810-3484.
Notes About This Event
Are you ready to Rock?!?
Join Black Belt Nia Teacher Bill Stewart for Divo, a Rock & Roll and Blues tour-de-force inspired by the classic Debbie Rosas routine "Diva".
The Boys are Back in town, with a playlist ranging from AC/DC to Led Zepplin and Beyond! Rock Out with us at any of these classes:
Friday, April 19th at 9:15 am – Lenora's Ballroom - 615 SE Alder
Saturday, April 20th at 5 pm – Vibrant Studios - 1532 SW Jefferson
Monday, April 22nd at 5 pm – Dance With Joy Studios – 7981 SE 17th
Tuesday, April 23rd at 11 am - Dance With Joy Studios – 7981 SE 17th
All classes at regular class rates for each facility.


text:
Banana Upside-Down Cake Recipe
5 1
For a fun and distinctive way to use bananas, Ruth Andrewson of Leavenworth, Washington recommends this version. "Every time I serve this treat, someone requests the recipe," she says.
Recommended: 16 Banana Split-Inspired Recipes
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Popular Videos
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- 2 medium firm bananas, sliced
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whipped cream, optional
- In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and butter; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook without stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Arrange pecans on top with flat side up. Pour remaining lemon juice into a small bowl; add bananas and stir carefully. Drain. Arrange bananas in a circular pattern over the pecans; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Spoon over bananas.
- Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan; invert cake onto a serving plate. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Originally published as Banana Upside-Down Cake in Taste of Home April/May 1998, p8
Reviews forBanana Upside-Down Cake
My Review
Click stars to rate
Any changes to your rating or review will appear where you originally posted your review


text:
Mother Jones Examines Americans United for Life's Role in State Antiabortion Legislation
August 22, 2012 — The antiabortion-rights group Americans United for Life is "chipping away at abortion access at an ever-faster pace," claiming credit for 24 abortion restrictions passed nationwide last year, Kate Sheppard writes in Mother Jones.
According to Sheppard, AUL was founded in 1971 with a mission of ending abortion in the U.S. by overturning Roe v. Wade, but in the 1990s, it began prioritizing incrementally restricting reproductive rights at the state level. Lawyers for the group have written dozens of model bills, which are distributed to every state and to federal lawmakers. So far this year, states have enacted 17 laws promoted by AUL or based on its model legislation.
According to AUL's website, the model legislation allows lawmakers to "easily introduce bills without needing to research and write the bills themselves." Jordan Goldberg, a lawyer at the Center for Reproductive Rights, noted, "It's troubling when you see the same bill language introduced in 27 states that you know came [from AUL] instead of coming from the concerns of the sponsor or that particular state."
AUL aims to promote state laws that have the potential to challenge federal abortion law. The group's bills often cite the Supreme Court's finding in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that the government "has legitimate interests from the outset of pregnancy in protecting the health of the woman." This tactic allows the group to frame bills that reduce abortion access as regulations that protect women, according to Sheppard.
For example, AUL's Women's Ultrasound Right to Know Act -- a version of which was enacted in Virginia this spring -- "clearly aims to prevent women from terminating pregnancies," but the bill's language centers on the woman rather than the fetus, Sheppard writes (Sheppard, Mother Jones, 8/20).


text:
- Cycling
Armstrong: No generation was 'clean'
Lance Armstrong claims he has been "lynched" as the scapegoat for a doping culture that predates his involvement with cycling, and described the Tour de France as a stunt with a century-long history of cheating.
The disgraced cyclist, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France victories by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in August 2012 after orchestrating what they described as "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen", said that doping went back through some of the most feted eras in the sport, claiming no time in history could claim to be clean.
"My generation was no different than any other," Armstrong told CyclingNews.com. "The 'help' has evolved over the years but the fact remains that our sport is damn hard, the Tour was invented as a stunt, and very tough mother f**kers have competed for a century and all looked for advantages - from hopping on trains a hundred years ago to EPO now.
"No generation was exempt or 'clean'. Not Merckx's, not Hinault's, not LeMond's, not Coppi's, not Gimondi's, not Indurain's, not Anquetil's, not Bartali's, and not mine."
Armstrong also branded International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid 'pathetic' for stating that he had no place in cycling, but gave his backing to the UCI's proposed truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) as a means to offer the sport the chance to wipe the slate clean.
The UCI scrapped their own independent investigation into claims against the federation that it played a role in the prolonged success of the doping program run by Armstrong's United States Postal Service team between 1999 and 2005, claiming that the World Anti-Doping Agency would only support a TRC.
WADA vehemently deny making any such demand, the latest rift in their relationship with the UCI, but Armstrong believes the switch is a positive move for the sport.
"It's not the best way, it's the only way," Armstrong said. "As much as I'm the eye of the storm this is not about one man, one team, one director. This is about cycling and to be frank it's about all endurance sports. Publicly lynching one man and his team will not solve this problem."
Armstrong, who insists his views are unrelated to any hopes of returning to elite sport, believes the commission should call on every living winner of a major cycling event to testify - and offer a complete amnesty on all confessions, "Otherwise no one will show up. No one."
He added: "Let's be honest, folks in my situation have their own selfish reasons. It's why we are here. Floyd [Landis, whose 2006 Tour de France victory was also wiped out after a failed doping test] felt singled out so therefore he went public amongst other things.
"We all made the mess, let's all fix the mess, and let's all be punished equally. Removing my selfishness, the fact remains that is the best thing for cycling.
"Cycling will never die, it will just simmer. Zero growth. Sponsors leaving, races cancelled - this we are seeing. This current state of chaos…will just ensure that cycling goes flat or negative for a decade-plus - which is a real shame for the current crop of young pros the sport has."


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Energy stocks ended lower Monday, as worries about the so-called fiscal cliff pulled U.S. equities down in an abbreviated Christmas Eve session.
Shares of Apache Corp. APA, -4.80% and Chevron Corp. CVX, -3.49% declined by 1.7% and 1%, respectively.
The companies announced Monday a deal that will give Chevron two shale-gas fields in Western Canada and a facility to export output to Asia. An amount was not disclosed.
Apache and Chevron's Canadian subsidiaries bought out two companies involved in the projects, EnCana Corp. ECA, -1.86% ECA, -2.47% and EOG Resources Inc. EOG, -1.85% and each will own 50% of a planned liquefied-natural-gas export terminal, a pipeline, and 644,000 acres in northern British Columbia, the companies said.
Chevron will operate the LNG plant and the pipeline; Apache will operate the transportation, storage and marketing assets. The glut of shale gas in North America and lower prices for the product have U.S. and Canadian companies seeking ways to export gas to Asia, where supplies are tight.
Earlier this month, a government-backed study said LNG exports would be a net benefit for the U.S., despite drawbacks that included higher domestic prices for natural gas.
Shares of EOG Resources declined 0.7%.
EOG is the "big winner" in the shale-gas deal between Chevron and Apache, analysts at UBS wrote in a note to clients. EOG will realize an estimated $450 million "for exiting a project it had little interest in pursuing," UBS said. The deal, however, is likely to cause capital-expenditure concerns for Chevron and Apache, the brokerage added.
Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM, -1.94% shares traded down 0.4%, while ConocoPhillips COP, -4.35% retreated 0.3%.
Marathon Petroleum Corp. MPC, -2.67% rose 1.2%, the only energy name on the S&P 500 to end in the black Monday.
Shares of SPDR Energy Select Sector XLE, -2.60% an exchange-traded fund focused on energy names, declined 0.8%. In energy futures, crude oil for February delivery CLG3, +0.00% trended modestly lower.
In the broader market, traders worried President Barack Obama and congressional leaders won't be able to break a deadlock on a deal to avoid spending cuts and tax increases set to start in the new year. U.S. stocks slide with no pact in sight.


text:
Match 10908 Blaze and Glacius vs. The Hulk and Deadpool
Posted 24 February 2012 - 03:39 AM
Glacius and Blaze find themselves in outworld while two unknown shadows walk closer to them.
Blaze...Who comes forth to battle Blaze and Glacius?
Deadpool...I'll take the icicle. That leaves you with hothead over there.
You hear Blaze roar then stomps his feet left to right and holds his fists high above his head, as Hulk slams his fists into the ground.
Deadpool juggles his daggers around and backflips getting ready for action while glacius stands there turning his hands into knives and swords clinging them together
Deadpool...Thats a cool trick you got there but sorry your tricks won't help when fighting me. (he chuckles.)
Glacius...My blades will find your insides. (smiling evil)
Deadpool. Not if mine finds yours first. (once again backflipping in the air)
Blaze...Peprare to meet the end you cowards. aahhaaha You both shall burn in the outworld forever.
Hulk then grits his teeth with extreme anger.
Hulk...HULK SMASH!!!
Posted 24 February 2012 - 12:20 PM
Posted 24 February 2012 - 01:29 PM
Posted 24 February 2012 - 10:00 PM
Posted 25 February 2012 - 01:04 AM
Posted 25 February 2012 - 12:30 PM
i wouldnt under estimate blaze against hulk. I don't know much about glacius tho. and yes leroypowell3 blaze isn't the boss in mk armageddon for no reason. Blaze serves as a catalyst of ultimate power which can be absorbed by any kombatant who successfully defeats him, giving the winner god-like power, amplifying their powers to omnipotent levels and granting a single wish. Blaze is the most powerful kombatant in the entire franchise in which he is able to single-handily cause Armageddon by devouring existence itself. Pretty intense if you ask me lol. Blaze=victory by himself
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. However, somebody beat Blaze in the game from a cannon perspective so if a Mortal Kombat character can do it, I think Hulk or even Deadpool can, too. Glacious will give Deadpool trouble but I doubt that he would beat him. We won't bother mentioning Hulk.
However, I'm betting there's some stipulation to defeating Blaze. This set up isn't a MK story so the rules are off. Blaze would incinerate both opponents and might even accidently melt his partner (It would take some serious heat to turn Hulk into ash).
I'm voting for team 1.
Posted 25 February 2012 - 06:28 PM
Posted 02 March 2012 - 10:42 AM
Posted 02 March 2012 - 11:54 AM
After this weekend, things should be back to normal.
Please note that any CBUB and FPL matches currently in progress will not end until this weekend.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users


text:
ATLANTA — Visions of greatness have now turned into delusions. Championship aspirations have now turned into the meager goal of winning a game or maybe even two without heart-wrenching suspense or a stretch of prolonged stupor.
These 2012-13 Celtics have been reduced to laughingstocks on late-night highlight shows, basketball observers wondering what happened to the retooled bunch that was prepared to challenge Miami for the Eastern Conference title.
Those dreams have been replaced by real-life, high-definition nightmares, such as Friday night in Atlanta, when the Celtics looked so good for 18 minutes, like the team Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers envisioned, then spent the next 40 minutes reminding their beyond discouraged fan base, a bewildered coaching staff and management, and those naysayers how far from elite they really are.
A 27-point second-quarter lead was lost in a mere 11 minutes and 45 seconds. And a 9-point lead was wasted in the final 3:39 of regulation. The result was a humiliating 123-111 defeat in double overtime as the Celtics finally ran out of energy and passion while the Hawks showed more will down the stretch. It was Boston's sixth straight loss.
The Celtics allowed Kyle Korver to can eight 3-pointers — all in the second half, a Hawks record. Atlanta, which looked inept midway through the second quarter, rallied from a 19-point halftime deficit and caught the Celtics at 59-59 on a Josh Smith layup with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
Boston then gathered itself, building a 96-87 lead with less than four minutes left, but Korver hit two 3-pointers in a 27-second span and Al Horford tied the game with two free throws with a minute to go. The Hawks had a chance to win in regulation but Smith missed a layup at the buzzer.
In the first overtime, the Celtics had chances to forge ahead by two possessions but didn't score in the final 1:40. The struggling Paul Pierce was left to force a runner before the buzzer that was blocked by Smith. Shellshocked and exhausted, the Celtics had nothing left for the second overtime. Atlanta scored the first 10 points.
Stunned would be an understatement as to how the Celtics reacted to another excruciating loss.
"Pretty much, man, it's a tough night tonight," Kevin Garnett said. "When we had a chance to put this game away, we didn't do that. We gave this team life. Korver came out, he got hot and obviously we couldn't turn it off. When we got teams down, man, we gotta step on them. We gotta figure out ways to come out and finish the game."
Korver's performance was pivotal but the Hawks scored 34 points off fast breaks and 50 in the paint. They released guards after every Celtics miss and earned either a layup or free throws. Atlanta attempted 36 free throws to the Celtics' 20 while Pierce and Rajon Rondo combined for 11 turnovers.
Rivers, who threatened trades after a bad loss in Detroit last Sunday, shook his head in disbelief in Cleveland Tuesday, and praised his team's effort against the Knicks Thursday, accused his club of relying on ghosts of the past.
"I just told our guys, you can win without humility," Rivers said. "And this team, we play well. The first quarter and a half was a clinic on how to play basketball, how to play defense, and then we start breaking rules that you shouldn't break when you're in grade school. Our transition defense was a joke. We weren't getting back. We kept standing and give them credit, they attacked us."
It seems, Rivers said, that the bravado and arrogance generated by the 2008 championship and 2010 NBA Finals appearance has been adopted by players who weren't on either of those teams.
"One of the things I told them was, 'Who do we think we are?' " he said. "We're under .500. We get a lead, guys, we start acting like we're the 2008 team. We're not. We haven't earned that right. So, disappointing."
Rivers essentially blamed the starters. They allowed the Hawks' mini-run to end the second quarter and then allowed a 21-2 surge to begin the third quarter. The Celtics came out at halftime passive, allowing the Hawks to chip away with pressing defense and 3-pointers. Korver hit two during that critical run while the Celtics went scoreless for 6:18.
The Celtics were outscored by 30 points with Pierce on the floor, 22 with Avery Bradley, 20 with Rondo, and 19 with Garnett.
"It's why we are what we are, it really is," Rivers said. "I see it in the locker room. I see our talent. I see us play a quarter and a half of almost perfect basketball and then you can't leave good enough alone, and then we start playing different.
"Listen, it's me. I keep saying I gotta figure out a way to figure out the buttons with each individual. I'm just going to keep searching. I tell my coaches and I tell myself we got the right group. But we gotta act right all the time."
Garnett called out the starting five for its lack of focus to begin the second half. Bradley scored the lone bucket for that group in the first 11 minutes.
"As starters, we gotta be more accountable and obviously start off not just the games but third quarters [better]," Garnett said. "We gotta come out and establish the game, who we are. We can't start thirds like that. We can't rely on [just bouncing back like last season]. This is a whole different group of guys. That's the past. We're dealing with the present here. If we're sitting around waiting on that, then that's a joke."Gary Washburn can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @gwashNBAGlobe


text:
Area native joins Cleveland TV station
Another Youngstown native has reached a significant milestone.
Lydia Esparra, a graduate of Ursuline High School and Ohio State University, is the first Latina news anchor at a Cleveland television station.
I received an email from Rick Clevenger, also a former Youngstown resident, notifying me about her promotion to news anchor at CBS affiliate WOIO Channel 19, which she received this past spring.
Clevenger is a freelance writer and director of communications for Church Street Ministries, a nonprofit outreach organization that assists Cuyahoga County residents in crisis situations.
I spoke with Lydia earlier this week. Back in the day, I played basketball with her older brothers, Porfirio Jr. "Pete" and Reynaldo.
Lydia is one of 10 children of Porfirio Sr. and Eufemia Esparra, who came to Youngstown from Puerto Rico.
She said her family is very close, and growing up, she spent time watching the national and local news with her father, who was a steel worker.
She said she knew when she was entering her teen years that she wanted to be a journalist.
"Growing up in Youngstown produced strong roots and values," she said, adding she has incorporated those values of sincerity, respect and kindness in her professional career.
Lydia began her television career in the South, with stops in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and also in Columbus and Albany, Ga.
She would become bureau chief for WTVM in Columbus, Ga. She won a federal award for her work in the Georgia State Prisons. She was inducted into the Akron Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004.
She has been in the Cleveland broadcast news market for 15 years. She worked three years at WJW Fox 8 as a general-assignment reporter. She then moved to NBC affiliate WKYC Channel 3 in 2000 as weekend anchor.
In 2008, Lydia received an Emmy award for excellence in her weekend newscasts, which she said is the highlight of her career thus far.
She joined WOIO's Channel 19 Action News in September 2010 as weekend anchor.
Lydia is also a freelance producer and has worked for "Entertainment Tonight" and NBC's "Today Show."
She certainly loves the Cleveland area, but she does carve out time to come back home.
"Youngstown is home. Everyone is so nice. You can enjoy every facet of life in Youngstown. And the food here, from people of all ethnic backgrounds, is awesome," she said.
She is married to Greg Truhan, whose father for years worked in the line department at the Ohio Edison Co. facility on South Avenue. I also worked with Greg's older brother, Jack, in OE's former forestry department during my summer breaks while attending OSU.
In Rick's email, he pointed out that Esparra does feel that being the first Latina news anchor in a major market comes with a fair amount of stress and scrutiny.
"I think so, even as a woman and a Hispanic, you're constantly having to improve yourself," she said. "I've always felt I had to work harder. ... You don't want to fail."
Lydia has not forgotten about her Puerto Rican heritage or Youngstown. Rick's email said that this past summer in Cleveland, she hosted the first Torch Run for Church Street Ministries to help raise money and awareness for the nonprofit organization. Last year, she hosted the Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana Inc. gala in Youngstown.
Lydia also is an author.
She has written a book called "Heaven is All Around You," a children's book that has an important message for young children and families dealing with the death of a parent.
Lydia's sister, Minerva "Memby" Esparra, died of complications from colon cancer in 2007. She was 42.
The book was inspired by the experience of her discussion with her two young nieces after Memby's death.
Lydia said she wanted to share her sister's story to help other people.
"I wrote the book to let children know that people go to heaven [when they die]. I think people need this. If it changes one life, I am happy," she said.
Lydia will host a book signing from 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 16 to benefit the outreach programs and services of Church Street Ministries.
She will sign copies of her book at the Second Mile Shop's 26th Annual Christmas Sale. The book signing will be at 398 W. Bagley Road, Suite No. 7, in Berea.
Lydia's newscasts air Saturday nights at 10 p.m. on WUAB Channel 43, and at 11 p.m. on WOIO Channel 19. Sunday evenings, she anchors at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 19, at 10 p.m. on Channel 43, and at 11 p.m. on Channel 19.
Bien hecho (well done), Lydia, y Vaya con Dios.
Ernie Brown Jr., a regional editor at The Vindicator, writes a monthly column. Contact him at email@example.com
Don't Miss a Story
Sign up for our newsletter to receive daily news directly in your inbox.


text:
Members Promotion Nov '12
Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )
· Help
Members Promotion Nov '12
Oct 24 2012, 04:43 AM
Post #1
Group: Legendary Designer
Posts: 2816
Joined: 16-May 10
From: God's Own Country
Member No.: 7411203
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wow.gif) Aaaaah!!!! Its Promotion Again!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wow.gif)
(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Kaos/kaosange3.gif) DC Promotion!(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Kaos/kaosange3.gif)
We are very happy to promote six of our greatest members this month!!
Dedicated Artist
First of all
He is one of the very talented designer. we can see many great wallps and Screensavers in his gallery..
in my opinion he is a master of giving shadows!!
in every works of him, we are able to see his Shadow talent that no one could ever done that!!
His Gallery
and he is.....
(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif) Lenhudiel (IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif)
He is really dedicated to DC.he spend most of his M9 life in DC!!
we are all really surprised to see his improvement! his gallery really amazed us by great 3D Designs!!
His Gallery
and he is...
(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif) Mohemmedali05 (IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif)
He is one of most known members in M9!!he is also very dedicated to DC!
he really amazed me with his Animated wallys all the time!!
also his stilled wallys look so realistic, i must say!!
His Gallery
and he is...
(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif) Vinothvardha (IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif)
Last but not least
A really talented DC member i know!! the star of Poster and Icon maker!!
he is not only a Designer but also a great DJ..but his design works always rock DC!!
His Gallery
and he is...
(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif) Aeronitor (IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif)
So, here's your very well deserved Dedicated Artist Badge. Enjoy it!!
Gifted Artist
She is a senior and a great designer come themer who is most known in entire M9!!
she participated DC 55 times till now!!isnt that amazing!!!!!
also she won 12 times including first place!.
she is very well Deserve this Badge more than anyone!!
i proudly announce our new Gifted Artist
Her Gallery
and she is...
(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif) Magicas1 (IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif)
So, here's your very well deserved Gifted Artist Badge. Enjoy it!!
Legendary Artist
A great, really great artist!! we all know her by her unimagined talent!!
all of her works extremity realistic and stayed in TOP level!!!
Oh Miss Greece, you reach the top of DC!!
from now you wont get any badge from us that you got the final Badge :D !!
her Gallery
and she is...
(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif) Liapireas (IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Asia-Emoticons/127.gif)
So, here's your very well deserved Legendary Artist Badge. Enjoy it!!
(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Kaos/k57.gif) Big Congrats to all our promoted members!!(IMG:http://www.smileygarden.de/smilie/Kaos/k57.gif)
Nov 13 2012, 04:48 AM
Post #2
Group: Admin Team
Posts: 7144
Joined: 29-April 05
From: Malaysia
Member No.: 131119
(IMG:http://www.emoticons.free.fr/smileys/Emotion-Happy/jumpy.gif) Themers Award Nov 2012(IMG:http://www.emoticons.free.fr/smileys/Emotion-Happy/jumpy.gif)
Time for another big promotions!! Who will get shiny badge and who will get promoted to ranks that make others drool? Read on!
Legendary Themer
Today we are welcoming two super themers into the ultimate hall of fame! Who are they? Joined M9 back in Aug 2008, Jolansky, started theming using online creator like many others. Plain, poor text readability, blurry preview are common traits of Joly's themes. Fast forward today, Joly is one of the world's most famous themer - winning 11 gold and a whooping of 30 trophies in competitions, getting many millions of downloads, and continuing to explore new type of themes day in day out. Joly's gallery of awesome themes says it all! Very very happy that you made it!
Another themer we want to promote today is Mangotango. No, of course not because she loves Liverpool football club like me hahaha. Joined back in Jun 2010, Mango caught people's attention right away by winning gold toothy in her very first participation in theming competition. It was very clear a star is in the making. Mango has won 15 gold and 37 trophies, an achievement that put her 4th in total trophies won in whole M9 history. On top of that, Mango is very humble right from the start & continue to help others till this date. If this is not worthy of the legendary status I don't know what is.
Big big big clap to both of you Joly & Mango!!!!! (IMG:http://static.mobile9.com/badges/legendarythemer.png) is finally yours!
Certified Themer
This is our oldest award and this month we want to bestow it upon three M9ers whose skills have improved so much that the Rosy Gifted no longer fit. Please give Galina53, Imsagi, and Handikap big clap! Certified Themer is the oldest award on M9 and all three of them create unique themes that make millions of Nokia phones so much better. Go check them out!!
Congratulations to the trio! (IMG:http://www.emoticons.free.fr/smileys/Emotion-Yes/thumbsup.gif) (IMG:http://www.emoticons.free.fr/smileys/Emotion-Yes/thumbsup.gif) Spidey (IMG:http://static.mobile9.com/badges/certifiedthemer.png) will be following you now!
Gifted Themer
Who gets the Rosy rank this time? Two beautiful ladies from Russia Viola53, Dar777ina and a cool guy from UK Randymabius. Congrats to three of you! Looking forward to your themes. ^.^ Way to go but the Rosy (IMG:http://static.mobile9.com/badges/giftedthemer.png) is a brilliant start!!!
Rising Themer
This month there are lots of newcomers coming to the theming scene. Welcome guys & girls! Enjoy theming & learning from all the brilliant M9ers around. Marteeni, Naz, Ivanna01, Villacher, МАРГО2010, Asu81, lenhudiel, kazjin, shalvincalicut. The (IMG:http://static.mobile9.com/badges/risingthemer.png) will now fly high in your profile. Keep working!
|Lo-Fi Version
|Time is now: 22nd May 2018 - 08:22 AM
© Copyright 2009 mobile9. Powered by 9WOS v5 [SS]. Sitemap


text:
Last year I asked SC Treasurer Loftis to consider placing the liquid funds of South
Carolina in a bank owned & operated in South Carolina.
If our monies were deposited in a South Carolina owned bank, the people would
have far more ability to use those funds in loans to create business and grow
our economy. South Carolina, would be the
beneficiary of the interest paid on those loans as well.
Why should our money be benefiting BOA & the Wall Street elite who are
controlling South Carolina's treasury funds for the benefit of their
cronies and largely denying small banks and businesses in South Carolina
access to them. South Carolina may need a state bank
or at minimum, South Carolina funds should be held in banks that are owed and operated in South Carolina. Get our funds off
Wall Street and back into South Carolina where we the people of SC can use
what is rightfully ours." - - Patricia of So. Carolina
17 States Considering State Banks
Noel Brinkerhoff
All Gov
29, 2012
Taking a cue from North Dakota, a large
number of state governments are considering the establishment of a state
In the wake of the financial and
mortgage crises, proponents are pushing for states to rely less on large
national private banks and establish state-run financial institutions.
North Dakota serves as the model for
this new experiment that 17 states are looking at. However, the state bank in
North Dakota, the only one of its kind in the U.S., is not new, having been
in operation since 1919.
With the Bank of North Dakota, financing is made available to support
loans to students, farmers and others, while the bank's profits go into
the state budget to help provide more revenue for government programs.
Some states, such as Idaho and Vermont,
have introduced legislation to study the idea of starting a state bank. Other
states, like New Hampshire, Virginia, Hawaii, Washington and California, are
debating bills that would create a state bank.
Read more: http://chasvoice.blogspot.com/2012/03/17-states-considering-state-banks.html#ixzz1ntKClyKV


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I didn't think of that as a jab. I was thinking of my MIL when I said it. She doesn't do well in a changeable world--neither does my husband. If you tell him someone might visit, he asks what plane they're arriving on. My MIL doesn't enjoy plans that are "maybes"; it's as if she can't wrap her head around the concept. And I know my mother *would* be disappointed. But she wouldn't be "crushed," which is the wording that seems so weird to me. Her holiday wouldn't be ruined. There would just be a disappointment amid all the enjoyable parts.
I also saw it as a jab; and an untrue jab at that. Military families all function in a "changeable world." They have no choice.
Maybe other families don't do well in a changeable world, but mine does.
Page created in 0.165 seconds with 18 queries.


text:
It's become routine for families looking to go out to eat to check the menu online before choosing a restaurant.
It's become routine for families looking to go out to eat to check the menu online before choosing a restaurant.
By the end of 2013, they should be able to check the restaurant's inspection record as well, no matter where in Pennsylvania it is.
Lydia Johnson, director of the state Agriculture Department's Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services, said her "best estimate" is that a complete statewide database of inspections will be online by the end of this year. The inspections cover restaurants, cafeterias, food markets, processors and other food establishments.
The push to get the inspections online became state law in 2010, but changes have come slowly, largely because food inspections for years have been done either by the agriculture department, an independent health bureau operating under a different state law or individual communities.
"This is a very complex process," Johnson said. "Our database is ready to go. But we also have other county and local health departments that have different software completely."
Some communities, she noted, still use paper records only.
A 2011 report to the National Academy of Sciences said a "substantial body of literature" shows that the public release of establishment-specific inspection reports had a number of benefits.
Included are increasing economic pressure to improve food safety, allowing buyers to see which companies have clean records, helping to identify processes that improve food safety and enhancing inspector performance.
Sanitarians upload their inspections from tablet computers directly into the state's database. They also are connected to laboratories that analyze food samples, Johnson said. In addition, the department's clerical staff uses the same system, allowing them to print licenses and record payments.
The state provides communities with training to use its software, as well as education on the state food code. But the 2010 law requires neither standardized training nor a standardized inspection, so when they all go online, some inspections will look different than others and may reflect a different level of inspector education.
Communities "have to use the same food code," Johnson said. "They do not have to use the same inspection report. That's part of the complexity of all of this."
The agriculture department still has to write regulations that will specify how communities that do not use agriculture inspectors and forms to file them with the state.
Agriculture agents do 40,000 inspections a year, she said. There are another 60,000 inspections that are done by other inspection agencies.
By law, school cafeterias are supposed to be inspected at least twice a year and other facilities at least once a year.
Distributed by
MCT Information Services


text:
News Release 10-200
Radio Series Highlights Women with Disabilities in Science
National Science Foundation-funded project offers online podcasts, free CD
October 22, 2010
This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.
Concurrent with October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month, WAMC Northeast Public Radio is making available its Access to Advancement series about the opportunities for, and achievements of, women with disabilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The series is now accessible both online and on free CDs. Divided into two sections, the first part of the series includes five stories that describe the latest practices, programs, and tools for supporting students with disabilities in their pursuit of STEM careers. The second part offers the stories of five successful women with disabilities who are studying or working in STEM fields.
According to the Science and Engineering Indicators: 2010, there are no comprehensive measures of the global S&E labor force, but fragmentary data suggest that the U.S. world share is continuing to decline. Many researchers indicate that women, underrepresented minorities, and people with disabilities represent a largely untapped talent pool. Dr. Angela Lee Foreman, assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology and one of the women profiled for Access to Advancement, explained "everyone has a unique talent that they can bring to the lab or the workplace. And we cannot afford to overlook these unique talents and skills."
The complete Access to Advancement series is available via Flash Audio, podcast and transcript on the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ON THE AIR! website, where visitors can also request free CDs. The site has many links to relevant websites and resources that students, educators, employers, and others can bring to their classrooms and workplaces to inform teaching, learning and hiring practices.
"The CDs and online audio will be an excellent addition to National Disability Employment Awareness Month activities because the series is designed to increase the public's awareness of the capabilities and contributions of employees with disabilities," said series co-producer Glenn Busby. "We expect Access to Advancement to generate and inform important discussions about the role of people with disabilities in the workforce."
In addition to the online audio and free CDs, the series is being broadcast on WAMC's The Best of Our Knowledge and 51% radio programs. Access to Advancement was made possible by support from the National Science Foundation's Research in Disabilities Education program under grant number HRD-0833247.
About WAMC: WAMC Northeast Public Radio is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio network broadcasting 24-hours-a-day to portions of seven New England and Middle Atlantic states. With 22 broadcast facilities, WAMC ranks among the most-listened-to public radio stations in the United States, with over 400,000 monthly listeners and 20,000 members. An affiliate of National Public Radio, American Public Media, and Public Radio International, WAMC is also one of the most prolific original producers of public radio-style programming in the nation, distributing a roster of award-winning segments and full-length news and information programs heard on more than 500 radio stations nationwide, on the Internet via audio on-demand, and in 177 countries via Armed Forces Radio. For more information, please visit the WAMC website.
Media Contacts
Maria C. Zacharias, NSF, (703) 292-8454, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2018, its budget is $7.8 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 50,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards.
Useful NSF Web Sites:
NSF Home Page: https://www.nsf.gov
NSF News: https://www.nsf.gov/news/
For the News Media: https://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jsp
Science and Engineering Statistics: https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards Searches: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/


text:
Southern Company Gas' core business is delivering environmentally friendly natural gas to
nearly 4.5 million customers through our seven utilities. We make sure our customers have all the safe, reliable natural gas they need, when they need it.
Here is an overview of the company's seven utilities:
Atlanta Gas Light | Chattanooga Gas | Elizabethtown Gas | Elkton Gas | Florida City Gas | Nicor Gas | Virginia Natural Gas
Atlanta Gas Light is the largest natural gas distributor in the Southeast. It provides delivery service to approximately 1.55 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in Georgia.
The natural gas market in Georgia is deregulated. Natural gas marketers compete to provide natural gas services to customers, creating a competitive
market for the best in pricing and service plans. The marketers arrange the buying and selling of natural gas to residential and commercial customers,
execute billing and oversee related customer service needs.
Atlanta Gas Light's role in Georgia's deregulated environment includes:
Atlanta Gas Light is also very active in our communities, donating to energy assistance programs, contributing to nonprofit agencies, and supporting our
employees' continuing volunteer efforts throughout the state.
More information on Southern Company Gas' Georgia utility can be found at atlantagaslight.com.
Back to Top


text:
Aggie Football Plays First-Ever Mountain West Game at Air Force Sept. 7
Thursday, Sep. 05, 2013
UTAH STATE at AIR FORCE
Date: Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013
Kickoff: 1:36 p.m.
Location: USAF Academy, Colo.
Stadium: Falcon (46,692)
Series: Air Force leads, 1-0
TV: CBS Sports Network, Dave Ryan (Play-by-Play), Adam Archuleta (Analyst), Evan Washburn (Reporter)
Radio: Utah State Sports Network, Al Lewis (Play-by-Play), Craig Hislop (Analyst)
Live Stats: UtahStateAggies.com
Twitter Updates: /USUFootball
YouTube: /USUAthletics
Facebook: /USUFootball
Tickets: 1-800-666-USAF (8723)
- Utah State is in its 116th season of football and is 506-509-31 (.499) in its previous 115 seasons. USU has nine nationally televised games on ESPN, CBS Sports Network and Fox Sports 1 in 2013 and two more that will be broadcast regionally on ROOT SPORTS.
- Utah State opens the 2013 season with consecutive road games (Aug. 29 at Utah; Sept. 7 at Air Force) for the first time since 2009, for the 24th time since 1960 and for the 29th time in school history. USU is also playing four of its first five games on the road in 2013 for the first time since 2009.
- Utah State has won 11 straight conference games dating back to the 2011 season, which is a school record. The previous record for consecutive conference wins was seven in the Big West Conference during the 1979 and 1980 seasons. USU's last conference loss was against Louisiana Tech (24-17) Oct. 22, 2011, in Logan when it was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 2005-12.
- Utah State is beginning conference play on the road for the third-straight year and for the fifth time in the last nine years. Overall, USU is 28-25-3 (.545) all-time in conference openers including an 11-13-3 (.463) road record.
- Utah State has won six straight conference road games dating back to the 2011 season, which is its longest conference road winning streak in school history along with the 1995-1997 teams that combined to win six-straight Big West road games. Overall, USU is 7-3 in its last 10 road games dating back to the 2011 season.
- Utah State's Mountain West game at Air Force on Sept. 7 will tie for the third-earliest conference game in school history. USU's earliest conference game ever was on Sept. 2, 1995, at Arkansas State when both schools were members of the Big West. USU also played a Big West game at Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 4, 1993, and at Long Beach State on Sept. 7, 1985. All-time, Utah State is 14-13-1 in conference games played in September, including a 3-5-1 road record.
- Utah State has won 16 of its last 20 games, which is USU's best stretch since going 18-2-1 during the 1960-61 seasons. USU's four losses during its last 20 games have been by a combined 10 points as it lost to Ohio (24-23) in the 2011 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, at No. 22 Wisconsin (16-14) and at BYU (6-3) in 2012, and at Utah (30-26) to open the 2013 season.
- Utah State has 59 players in its program from the state of Utah, while Air Force has seven players on its roster from the state of Colorado.
- Utah State has won three of its last four games played during the month of September and is 3-2 all-time in games played on Sept. 7.
(Read much more in the full game notes on the Athletics website.)
Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics website.


text:
As a prep wrestler at Centaurus High School, Aragon's uncanny joint structure makes him a unique competitor in a sport that routinely twists, grinds, pulls and jerks joints in angles they're not meant to reach. But what might doom the average wrestler to pain or pin often works in Aragon's advantage.
Both of the Warrior senior's shoulders dislocate during matches and he can pop them back into place. Sometimes, Aragon even does it intentionally to escape a hold or gain position on his opponent.
"It hurts but I can deal with the pain," said Aragon, whose funky joint flexion helped him qualify for the 5A state tournament last season. "After a while I learned how to use it to my advantage."
Wrestling at 113 pounds, Aragon went 1-2 at state last season. On the mat, it is clear Aragon is one of the Warriors' stellar wrestlers. But he didn't start out that way.
Aragon experienced a mix of success and frustration his freshman season. He began to feel left out and grew increasingly distant from the team. Never quite growing comfortable with the team, Aragon decided not to wrestle his sophomore year. But something was missing.
Compelled by his love for the sport, Aragon was called back to the wrestling room. Rededicating himself to the wrestling team, he rejoined and eventually worked his way back into the good graces of his teammates and began to find comfort with the team.
"Once you wrestle, it stays in your blood," Aragon said. "It's always gonna be in you and you're gonna miss it, no matter what. It became like a family for me. Like this year, it's a family again."
With comfort came success. Feeling as though his coaches and teammates are firmly in his corner, Aragon is approaching this season with the intention of standing on the podium when it's all over.
Aragon's status as one of the Warriors' top wrestlers has brought with it the expectation to lead. Head coach Cisco Gonzales said the senior needs to be a guy who, when he steps on the mat, more often than not steps off the victor.
But, Gonzales said, Aragon also needs to be someone other wrestlers can look to as an example.
"He took a season off and kind of went through some things," Gonzales said. "When he came back last year, it was kind of like him earning back the respect of the squad and that confidence with his peers. He was here and he was committed. We want to do some real positive things this year and we need everybody on board. That's one thing that he's done."
Aragon is an offensive wrestler with a conventional, counterattacking style. He thrives in scramble positions and his unconventional physical traits will make him a dangerous and confusing opponent this winter.
As someone who once left the team, though, the role of wrestling room leader is new to him. Aragon's ability to help guide the Warriors, and to encourage others to do the same, will play a major role in the team's success this season.
"I'm not a loud guy. But when it comes down to it, I can be a leader," Aragon said. "I try to make other people be leaders, as well. It's not all about me, it's about the other guys in the end. We all need to learn from our mistakes and lead by example."


text:
We need to add some additional disk space to our servers again, which means *.gitorious.org will have some downtime starting at 10:00 AM CEST (Central European Summer Time) tomorrow morning (tuesday). We'll update this post as we proceed.
10:04 Servers going down now
10:11 Rebooting the virtualization nodes now
10:22: Restarting Apache
10:28 And we're back up!


text:
The director of District 5 on the Sunnyside School Board, Miguel Puente, has submitted his letter of resignation.
The long-time, well-respected board member is stepping down to clear the way for his wife, Becky, to be hired by the Sunnyside School District. Most recently employed as a substitute teacher, she surfaced as the top candidate for a full-time teaching position that has opened up at Sunnyside's Chief Kamiakin Elementary School.
Based on the recommendation of local administrators, the school board is expected to approve the hiring of Mrs. Puente as a full-time, first grade teacher at the directors' regularly scheduled meeting this coming Thursday.
That approval couldn't have come had Mr. Puente still been seated on the board. Washington state's conflict of interest rules prohibit school districts the size of Sunnyside from hiring the spouses of school board members.
Ironically, two of the directors currently seated on the Sunnyside School Board have spouses who are gainfully employed by the local school district. Michelle Perry's husband works as a para-educator at Outlook Elementary School, and Rocky Simmons' wife is employed as a secretary. That, however, is allowable under state statute because both Simmons and Perry were elected to office after their spouses had already begun their careers with the Sunnyside School District.
Conflicts of interest crop up at times for both Perry and Simmons, though, as neither are allowed to participate in, or influence, discussions that relate to employment contracts that pertain to their significant others. Actions affecting employment status include, but are not limited to, hiring, establishing compensation and fringe benefits, setting working conditions, conducting performance evaluations and considering or imposing discipline and termination.
Adhering to conflict of interest policies with two of the five board members having spouses working in the schools, especially during labor negotiations, "...can get tricky at times," admits Sunnyside Schools Superintendent Dr. Rick Cole.
However, it may get even more complicated.
That's because Puente stands a very good chance of regaining the same school board seat that he just vacated this week. In filing three weeks ago to retain his seat on the school board, up for re-election this fall, Puente drew no challengers.
Assuming he doesn't withdraw his name from the ballot, or someone steps forward and mounts an aggressive write-in campaign, Puente is running unopposed...which means that if voters return him to what is currently an open seat, his wife will have been hired before Puente is elected and she will rightfully get to keep her job.
It also means that Puente will be the third of the five school board members who will have to step away from certain labor discussions.
The four remaining school board members...Perry, Simmons, Lorenzo Garza and Steve Carpenter...have 90 days from this coming Thursday to appoint someone to fill Puente's seat on the board. Normally, said Cole, the board accepts applications for 30 days from local citizens interested in serving as a director. The only major requirement is that people who want to be considered for the now vacant seat reside within District 5 (see map above).
Puente, this past Tuesday, said he will not seek to get appointed to what is now his vacant seat, instead using the rest of the year to gauge the community's response to what has transpired.
"Three people on the school board with spouses working for the district...yes, it creates some issues," said Puente, noting the board would have to be ever mindful of adhering to conflict of interest policies and would need to strive even more than it presently does in keeping all district business transparent and open to the public.
"Right now we're establishing some paths that are turning around some of the troubles we've had in our schools, and yes, it would be nice to continue to be a part of that.
"But if problems arise from this, I'm willing to walk away. Whatever benefits our schools, our kids, I want to do what's best for the community," Puente said.
Cole said in an ideal setting, no school board member would have a spouse who's employed by the same school district in which they serve.
Bluntly put, "I'm not comfortable when any board member has a conflict of interest," Cole said. On the other hand, Cole adds, "Miguel's been a great board member."
The issue at hand, Cole said, will in all likelihood be settled by the community at-large. "If the people who live here in this district have a problem with this, they are the ones who are going to have to step forward and decide who is going to represent them," he said.
Comments are subject to moderator review and may not appear immediately on the site.
Please read our commenting policy before posting.
Any comment violating the site's commenting guidelines will be removed and the user could be banned from the site.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
EFF Busts Another Bogus Patent... Five Years Later
from the still-taking-quite-a-long-time dept
While this is certainly a victory against a bad patent, what should be quite worrying is just how long it's taken to get this far. The EFF launched their patent busting project almost five years ago. And while it's had success in getting two patents busted, one significantly narrowed and re-exams on three more, this is an incredibly slow moving process. Yet during that time, such a bogus patent can be used to stop innovation and advancement. That should be seen as quite troubling. Now some may argue that it takes an equally long time to get a patent granted, but that doesn't hold back innovation in the same way. While the patent process is going on, innovation can continue. Yet if a bogus patent is preventing innovation for many years, the harm to society can be great.


text:
Story highlights
- Rory McIlroy wins the World Tour Championship in Dubai
- World no.1 birdied the final five holes to defeat Justin Rose
- McIlroy had already won Race to Dubai and topped European Money list
- Justin Rose finishes second after threatening to shock the Northern Irishman
Rory McIlroy produced a dazzling performance to clinch the World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The world no.1 birdied the last five holes to pip Justin Rose by two shots and round off a phenomenal year.
Beginning the day leading the field alongside Luke Donald, the Northern Irishman was forced to produce his brilliant best as his Ryder Cup teammate faded towards the end.
McIlroy had fallen two shots off the lead following a bogey on the 13th as Rose bloomed in the Dubai sunshine.
Rose, ranked seven in the world, set a new course record with a bogey-free round of 10-under par 62.
But McIlroy, watched by tennis ace girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki, produced an exquisite run of form down the final stretch to finish on six-under 66 and 23-under for the tournament.
And the 23-year-old, who came into the tournament having already won the Race to Dubai European Money List, was thrilled with his latest triumph.
"I just wanted to finish the season the way I thought it deserved to be finished," McIlroy told reporters.
"I've played so well throughout the year, and I didn't want to just let it tail off sort of timidly. I wanted to come here and finish in style. I was able to do it.
"Obviously going out today, myself and Luke (Donald) were tied for the lead, and we both didn't get off to the greatest of starts.
"And then Justin had that incredible back nine, shot 62, and I knew midway through the back nine I needed to do something special.
"Somehow I summoned up the energy from somewhere to make five birdies in the last five holes. It's just a great way to end this tournament, a great way to end the season, and I am already excited about 2013.
"It means a lot to me to win in this fashion, as well. I guess in a way, Justin gave me the opportunity to do what I did.
"I guess seeing a target there and shooting at something, it definitely makes you more focused."
The 23-under-par 265 recorded by McIlroy matched the lowest four-round aggregate in the four-year history of the tournament -- set by Lee Westwood in 2009.
He also equaled the Englishman's achievement of winning both the Race to Dubai European Money List and the World Tour Championship in the same season
Meanwhile, Rose was left to reflect on what might have been having gone close to making an eagle putt from 70 feet on the 13th only to miss by inches.
He said: "That was a lot of fun. The front nine was just as good as the back nine, and the back nine putts started going in, which is a nice feeling.
"But you know what Rory is capable of. Fair play to him for making all those birdies down the stretch."
Luke Donald, who led alongside McIlroy overnight, finished on 18-under for the tournament after making two bogeys on the final round having not made any over the first 100 holes of the tournament.
He finished level alongside 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.


text:
A few years ago I was playing a small festival in St. Louis and had just gotten off stage. I'd placed my guitars on a couple racks behind me and was autographing CDs and talking to fans when I heard a sickening "thunk" follow by a "crack." I turned to see that the breeze — slight as it was — had blown my 1967 ES-345 off its stand, face forward. The beautiful cherry red guitar had smacked to the asphalt and the top half of the headstock had snapped clean through.
I was not happy, but I continued selling CDs and talking, because I knew it couldn't get any worse at that point and I also knew that a clean break could be fixed by my favorite luthier at home in Nashville. Not only was the guitar repaired, but he ordered a special can of vintage age-tinted paint to match the back of the headstock and make the crack nearly imperceptible.
The point of that story is — if your guitar breaks, just breathe. Chances are it can be repaired. Heck, at one point a jealous girlfriend splintered Bill Monroe's gorgeous 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin to the extent that one of Gibson's artisans needed to glue some of the splinters onto string to rest them in place like minute puzzle pieces, but now the instrument looks great, has a place of honor at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and still rings like a church bell when it's played.
Here are 10 things to consider should your guitar get injured on or off the job:
• Don't panic: This is worth repeating like a mantra. Only in rare cases can a broken guitar not be restored to playability, even if it requires major work like a neck replacement. If you've got a low-dollar instrument you don't feel strongly about, it might be worth getting a new instrument in extreme cases, but otherwise if the repair costs make sense and you value the instrument it can probably be fixed.
• Pick up all the pieces: Let's go back to Bill Monroe. As legend has it, his mando was sooooooooooo smashed he brought it into Gibson in a shoebox. But all the pieces were there. Collecting them must have been painstaking, but it is absolutely necessary to have every splinter of wood, every bit of hardware, every piece of debris from your guitar's unfortunate injury in order to put those pieces back in place. So be precise when you clean up the mess.
• Pack parts carefully: Don't just throw fragments of your guitar's neck, headstock, top, etc. into the van in disgust. One again, like Bill Monroe, carefully pack all of the pieces that need restoration into one container that provides protection. Losing pieces like springs and screws, or allowing wooden pieces to fragment further, only complicates things.
• DIY?: You might be able to make some repairs, even something that requires great accuracy, like gluing on the top of a headstock, yourself. Soldering wires is an easier example, and so is gluing a fixed bridge back in place. But if you've never done a specific fix, consult the Internet or talk with friends who have done the work, so they can guide you through. And if you have any trepidation about making a fix yourself, do not do it! Take it to a luthier. An incorrect neck angle or inaccurate placement of a bridge will screw up your guitar's intonation and will require resetting, which increases the chances of permanent damage.
• Find a good repairperson: The items above underline the importance of having a good luthier in your wheelhouse. If you don't have a repairperson you like, get recommendations from friends and local players you admire. Try a few out for minor fixes, or even set-ups. When you find someone with the right blend of skill and attitude, stick with that luthier. Customer loyalty gets rewarded with quick turnarounds and willingness to put in extra effort when it comes to handling difficult jobs. That's human nature.
• Save parts: If you need to have a part, like a bridge or electronics, or even a neck, replaced, keep the old part. The part, or a piece of it, may be handy later for another repair or a conventional or unconventional project. Think of your guitar cast-offs as cars in a junkyard, available for the picking.
• Order replacement parts: Guitar repair professionals are generally in the business of fixing, not selling, so don't be afraid to explore the internet for replacement parts for your guitars, from screws to wiring kits. They may be cheaper if purchased directly, and if you bring them to a reputable luthier he or she will use them to make the repair without complaint.
• Consider resale: Let's say an injury, like a fractured neck, takes the magic out of your guitar. Sometimes an instrument never sounds quite the same after a repair. Sometime, it actually sounds better. The mojo can be delicate. If the former occurs, don't think of the money you spent on repair as wasted. Think of it as a ticket to your next guitar. Sell the injured instrument when it's in good repair and buy something new. Or in the rare instance that it's beyond repair, sell the mangled mess for parts. I acquired a great set of vintage humbuckers from a Les Paul that had been in the trunk of a parked car that was flattened by a runaway truck back in the early '90s. I love 'em and play 'em to this day.
• Build something: Now we're getting into the worst possible scenario zone. If a guitar can't be fixed, it can sometimes be transformed, either by recycling parts for a project guitar or by adapting it in another way. For example, a friend gave me a gorgeous vintage hollow body Epiphone with its wonderful original '60s dog-ear P-90 pickup. The catch was that the instrument had one of the worst neck repairs in history. Likely it was not the luthier's fault, but there was actually wood missing at the point where the headstock was re-glued to the neck. I played the guitar on a few gigs, but every couple weeks when I'd take it out of its case the headstock would have disengaged itself from the body while in storage. As a blues-based player I've got a rich history to draw from. But unlike many blues guitarists, I'm interested in stepping outside the box while still respecting the tradition. So one day after removed the Epi from its case and finding the headstock off yet again, I re-imagined the guitar as a diddley bow — a primitive one string guitar like the one Jack White builds at the start of It Might Get Loud, the kind of African-based instrument that many old-school southern blues pickers got their start on. I took a pair of pliers to the frets and glued the neck on with nasty cryanolite adhesive at an angle that sacrificed perfect intonation, but would never come apart again. I play the guitar on most shows and audiences love it, as do I! It sounds and looks unique.
• Make art: As a last desperate measure, you can always make art from broken necks. Spent bodies and other parts are a great starting point for sculpture. A good example is the instrumentalist's award presented at the Americana Music Awards show each fall in Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. They are made from guitar parts donated by the Gibson Company.
Good news, Gibson Repair and Restoration in Nashville is now accepting all brands of stringed instruments in need of attention at the in-house repair and restoration facility. Offering a state of the art, temperature and humidity controlled environment, as well as a full staff of highly skilled and experienced luthiers, Gibson is fully equipped to perform any and all operations required in all phases of repair and restoration.


text:
Learner Perceptions of Instruction in L2 Pragmatics
In Taiwan, pragmatic competence has often been a neglected area in English education. Learners may be linguistically competent, but do not know how to use L2 appropriately. Through the teaching of complaint behaviors, the author demonstrates how pragmatic components can be incorporated into a college-level language classroom. After the instruction, the self reports of the forty participants showed a positive attitude toward such instruction. They also reported that the teaching materials were suitable, but suggested that the instruction would have been more interesting if videos or films had been included. When it comes to learning difficulties, most learners reported that more instructional time was needed to turn knowledge about L2 complaints to actual productions. These findings can serve as offering advice to language teachers when they plan their lessons in L2 pragmatics.
Full Text:PDF
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v2n4p154
Copyright (c) 2009 Yuanshan Chen
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
English Language Teaching ISSN 1916-4742 (Print) ISSN 1916-4750 (Online)
Copyright © Canadian Center of Science and Education
To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the 'ccsenet.org' domain to your e-mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders.


text:
DIXON – The chairman of the Lee County Board still supports a proposed wind farm, but he is pushing a compromise that would include strong conditions on the project.
Rick Ketchum, D-Amboy, said he and others are working on the conditions. He provided few details.
Last month, the county's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3-2 to reject Ireland-based Mainstream Renewable Power's proposed wind farm for the county's southwestern corner.
In rejecting the 53 turbines, the zoning board majority contended the project would hurt the rural character of the area. They also said the company failed to reveal the turbine model it planned to use, which would have an effect on the project's noise. It also lacked a plan for taking down the turbines after the project ends.
The 24-member county board, which has the final say, is expected to vote on the matter Tuesday.
A day after the zoning board's decision last month, Ketchum said he would vote to overrule the lower panel's recommendation.
In a telephone interview Wednesday, Ketchum said the county's wind farm regulations weren't strong enough, which he said prompted the effort to impose conditions on the Mainstream project.
He wouldn't say who he was working with in drafting the conditions, but he said Mainstream wasn't involved.
One of the conditions would involve a longer setback than the usual 1,400 feet between homes and turbines, he said, but he wouldn't say exactly how far.
"The conditions won't be totally mine," he said. "We want conditions that are strong, but not enough to stop the project. We think the conditions are fair, but the wind farm (company) may not like them."
He predicted a close vote.
In a story last month, most county board members interviewed declined to state their views on the wind farm.
Supporters of wind farms say they dramatically boost property tax revenue for government entities such as schools.
Mainstream's proposal is part of a three-county wind farm, which includes Whiteside and Bureau counties. Last year, Whiteside County approved nine turbines, while Bureau County's zoning panel recommended against Mainstream's plan for 19 turbines, saying it didn't meet the county's requirements. Mainstream withdrew its proposal in Bureau County, saying it planned to submit a new plan.
The Lee County Board will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday on the third floor of the Old Lee County Courthouse, 112 E. Second St. in Dixon.
The board is expected to consider a wind farm in the southwestern part of the county.
For an agenda for this meeting, minutes from past meetings, or more information, go to www.countyoflee.org or call 815-288-5676.
Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.


text:
|© MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
By David Heck / Special to MLB.com
After weeks of speculation and rumors, Gio Gonzalez finally has a new home.
The Nationals emerged victorious with the A's hurler on Thursday, sending a package of right-handers Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole, catcher Derek Norris and left-hander Tom Milone to Oakland. Washington also gets righty Robert Gilliam.
Peacock leads the group after putting together a season in which he was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year, MLB.com's Double-A Starter of the Year and a Topps Double-A All-Star. Formerly ranked the Nationals' No. 2 prospect, Peacock fashioned a 2.01 ERA in 98 2/3 innings for Double-A Harrisburg, striking out 129 and walking 28. He followed that up by compiling a 3.19 ERA in 48 innings at Triple-A, then an 0.75 mark in 12 Major League frames.
Selected in the 41st round of the 2006 Draft, Peacock hadn't posted an ERA below 4.16 in a full season before last year. The 23-year-old added some deception to his delivery in Spring Training, which contributed to his breakout season, according to Harrisburg pitching coach Randy Tomlin.
"There were many times that you saw hitters' reactions to his fastball where the ball was on them a lot quicker than they were anticipating, even though they knew he throws in the low- to mid-90s," Tomlin told MiLB.com in October. "They see that quite often, but they could not get a read on the timing. Sometimes back in the dugout, you could see them explaining to other guys about how the ball jumped out of his hand."
Cole, a fourth-round pick in 2010, ranked as Washington's No. 3 prospect after a successful rookie season. The 19-year-old put together a 4.04 ERA in 89 innings for Class A Hagerstown, fanning 108 and walking 24. Though he weakened as the year wore on -- he posted a 3.38 ERA before the All-Star break, compared to a 4.42 mark after -- he still managed to lead a combined one-hit effort against Delmarva in August.
Norris, meanwhile, had an up-and-down year for Harrisburg during which he battled numerous injuries. The 22-year-old catching prospect batted just .210, but slugged 20 homers and posted a .367 on-base percentage in 104 games. He then altered his approach in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .267 with two homers and an identical .367 on-base percentage.
"I'm just trying to be more aggressive at the plate," Norris told MLB.com in October. "I felt like I took way too many pitches over the course of this past year. I'm just trying to put the ball in play and see what happens."
Overall, the 2007 fourth-rounder checked in as the Nats' No. 5 prospect.
"You don't wake up every day and find out you were part of a [six]-man trade for a big leaguer. I feel like if they made that trade for us, that means they obviously means they like us," Norris told MLB.com. "They obviously see a future for us. I'm not saying the Nationals didn't. If someone is willing to give up a guy like Gio Gonzalez for a few Minor League prospects, I feel they have a good plan for us and I'm excited."
Rounding out the trade was 24-year-old Milone, who went 12-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 148 1/3 innings at Triple-A, fanning 155 while walking just 15. He did not strike out quite as many at the Major League level, whiffing 15 in 26 innings for Washington with a 3.81 ERA. A 10th-round pick in 2008, Milone was named the Nationals' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2010 after putting together a 2.85 ERA in 158 Double-A frames.
The Nationals got an established and affordable Major League starter in Gonzalez. The 26-year-old left-hander has thrown over 200 innings in each of the past two seasons, posting ERAs of 3.23 and 3.12 respectively. He struck out an impressive 368 batters during that time, but also issued 183 walks. He is not eligible to become a free agent until after the 2016 season.
Gilliam was 12-7 with a 5.04 ERA for Class A Advanced Stockton. He struck out 156 batters in 164 1/3 innings.