text:
FIFA wants refs to show fewer cards
It was bound to happen. Sooner or later the issue of refereeing was going to crop up at this World Cup. It always does.
After a very bumpy first few days, we had enjoyed a relatively smooth ride: the odd error, but no full-blown controversy and postmatch freak-out.
That was until Friday's quarterfinal between Brazil and Colombia and the performance of one Carlos Velasco Carballo.
Right now, the Spanish referee is getting it from all sides. Luiz Felipe Scolari is angry with him for not taking control of the match and thereby perhaps preventing the injury that will cost Neymar the rest of the World Cup. Colombians are annoyed by the "hack-a-James" manhunt that went on unchecked by yellow cards. Even Radamel Falcao weighed in via Twitter.
Neutrals wonder how it's possible that you call no fewer than 40 fouls -- many of them tasty ones -- before cautioning anyone. Indeed, when the first yellow was shown -- to Brazil's Thiago Silva -- it wasn't for a foul, but for interfering with Daniel Ospina's goal kick.
This being the FIFA World Cup, and FIFA being FIFA, folks are prone to see vast, occult referee conspiracies to favor one team or another. And, in the past, there certainly were some rather questionable appointments and performances.
Today, the referees' committee, the body that appoints and evaluates officials in conjunction with Massimo Busacca, the head of referees, is made up largely of ex-officials. Its chair and deputy chair come from nations not involved in the World Cup.
In the past, this wasn't the case. It was a coveted committee because it wielded power and it was filled with football administrators, rather than guys with specific refereeing experience. Bigger, more powerful nations appeared to hold more power.
There's an easy narrative embraced by some: that officials favor Brazil. After all, they hit the trifecta. They're the host nation and having the hosts go deep into the competition tends to be good for business. Plus, they're Brazil -- historically the most popular team with neutrals -- and that's good for business too. Finally, Brazil -- like other big nations -- carry a lot of weight within FIFA.
It's an easy and tempting narrative to apply to Velasco's performance, but it has some major flaws. Thiago Silva's booking was exactly the kind Velasco could have avoided with impunity. Depriving Brazil of their captain for a World Cup semifinal -- he was on a yellow from previous games -- is a huge call and not the sort of thing someone trying to aid the Selecao would do.
Two of the other big calls that went Brazil's way also stand up to scrutiny. There was an offside on Colombia's disallowed goal. And, on the penalty, when Julio Cesar brought down Carlos Bacca, there's room to debate whether it was a clear-cut denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. Bacca gets the ball past the Brazilian keeper who, at that stage, has no legal way of stopping him. But you have to consider whether the trailing defender, David Luiz, could have recovered. And whether Bacca could have reached the ball before it went out of play. Both are judgment calls, you can easily argue both ways. A red card would not have been scandalous, but neither is the fact that Velasco chose yellow.
That's the thing about Velasco, he rarely makes technical errors. He's usually in the right place at the right time and sees things correctly. The problem with him is the way he manages players, particularly Friday night, when the game clearly got away from him.
Neymar out of the World Cup
- Ex-ref blames FIFA for Neymar injury
- FIFA to investigate Neymar injury
- Referee Carballo faces criticism
- Jones: The morning after the night before
- Duarte: The World Cup's crushing loss
- World Cup Tonight: How will Brazil cope?
- Young: Brazilian media reacts
- Uersfeld: German media reaction
- Lang: Five players who must step up
- Neymar injury dampens celebration
Before we crucify him, we need to consider the directive that FIFA gave referees ahead of this World Cup. Busacca asked them to use yellow and red cards only as a last resort and to try to let the game flow as much as possible -- a suggestion that's been heeded.
Why did he do this?
Several reasons.
First of all, to favor a more flowing game and, thereby, goals. (There's plenty of data that suggests a correlation between cautions and scoring: the lower the first, the higher the second.)
Another was to limit suspensions. The presumption was that referees should do what they can -- again, within the limits of common sense -- to avoid players getting banned because, ultimately, we want to see the best players on the pitch. This is especially important in a shorter, knockout tournament.
If, say, Lionel Messi had kicked out late in the quarterfinals, picked up a yellow to go with a previous one and was suspended for the semifinal, it wouldn't do much for the team that suffered his infraction. But it'd be a huge boost to whoever faces Argentina in the semifinal.
Finally, Busacca belongs to the school of thought that believes that referees need, whenever possible, to manage games through talking and psychology. A stern verbal rebuke can achieve as much as a card. The best referees are masters at this and it's the direction many want to go.
The problem with Velasco is that he's not that type of official. He has his own style and personality. He ordinarily asserts his authority through cards, not by communication. Indeed, go through Brazil vs. Colombia and you'll see very few instances of him addressing players, despite the fact that he could easily communicate with all of them.
Good referees know that FIFA directives aren't gospel. Gospel are the laws of the game and their own common sense and experience. Yet, at the same time, the referees are stuck in a conundrum between what they believe is right and what they're asked to do and, sometimes, they conflict. In Velasco's case, he embraced the "shy away from cards" directive but not the "match management through communication" order.
The result was the car crash we all witnessed.
You can see why FIFA issue directives. They want some level of consistency in style, while favouring attacking football and entertainment. Yet this time they probably went too far. A World Cup is no place for experimentation, particularly when dealing with officials who spend most of their time with their national federations, which may have different ideas of how to officiate.
All that said, despite the controversy, this has not been a horrible World Cup for match officials, relative to past ones. Mistakes were made -- some of them avoidable -- but the overall balance thus far leans to the positive. Fingers crossed that doesn't change in the few games we have left ... the ones that really matter.
Gabriele Marcotti is a senior writer for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @Marcotti.


text:
Table of Contents
Point Value: 1
Side Attributes:
Actions and Action Points (ACP):
Receives basic allotment of 9 new ACP per turn.
Allowed 1 free ACP to complete an action.
Movement, Movement Points (MP), and Speeds (MP/ACP Ratios):
Uses a minimum of 1 ACP per move.
Needs MP to enter terrain: 6 into swamp, peat-swamp, spice-swamp, forest, pheasant-forest, silk-forest, jungle, fruit-jungle, gems-jungle, hills, coal-hills, wine-hills, glacier, ivory-glacier, oil-glacier, 3 into desert, oasis, oil-desert, plains, buffalo-plains, wheat-plains, grassland, lush-grassland, tundra, furs-tundra, musk-ox-tundra, 99 into ocean, ocean/fish, ocean/whales, 9 into mountains, gold-mountains, iron-mountains, 0 into river, road, rail-line.
Needs MP to traverse terrain: -1 by default, 1 across road, rail-line, 99 across river.
Gets up to 8 free MP if needed to finish a move.
Hit Points (HP): 10.
Vanishes if in: false by default, true for ocean, ocean/fish, ocean/whales.
Combat experience (CXP) maximum: 1.
Construction points (CP): 30.
Can attack (ACP 1 vs all unit types).
Hit chances are 0% by default, 100% vs Village.
Damage is 0 by default, 1 vs AEGIS Cruiser, Alpine Troops, Archers, Armor, Artillery, Battleship, Bomber, Cannon, Caravan, Caravel, Carrier, Catapult, Cavalry, Chariot, Cruise Missile, Cruiser, Crusaders, Destroyer, Diplomat, Dragoons, Elephants, Engineers, Explorers, Fanatics, Fighter, Freight, Frigate, Galleon, Helicopter, Horsemen, Howitzer, Ironclad, Knights, Legion, Marines, Mechanized Infantry, Musketeer, Nuclear Missile, Paratroopers, Partisans, Phalanx, Pikemen, Riflemen, Settlers, Spy, Stealth Bomber, Stealth Fighter, Submarine, Transport, Trireme, Warriors, Village.
Can capture (ACP 0 vs all unit types).
Chance to capture: 0% by default, 100% vs City.
Protection of occupants/transport is *1.00 by default, *0.00 for City.
0% chance to be seen at outset of game.
0% chance to be seen at outset of game if independent.
Not always seen even if terrain has been seen.
Occupants not seen even if unit has been seen.
Material Handling:
Food (none)
Shields (none)
Arrows (none)
Taxes (none)
Luxuries (none)
Science (none)
Required advances to build: Espionage.
Fate if side loses: 100% chance to vanish.
AI Attributes:
Requires >= 30 accessible, liquid cells to build naval units.
Requests a total wartime garrison of 1 units.
Range within which enemies will cause an alert is 6.
Basic tactical computation range is 12.
Table of Contents
File produced by Xcscribe for Xconq version 7.5pre (July 2004).

subset: commoncrawl


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NORMAL All the way to the bitter end, it was a grind for Montini this weekend.
At least it ended on a good note.
Freshman Lea Kersteins two free throws with 4.8 seconds left clinched a 42-38 win over Morton in Saturdays third-place game at Redbird Arena.
Bouncing back from Fridays overtime upset loss to Vernon Hills, Montini (35-2) trailed 19-16 at the half, came back to take a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and held off a late Morton charge. It is the fifth state trophy in the last six years for Montini, winner of the last three Class 3A titles.
We would have brought home a trophy even if we would have lost, but its better if you win, Montini coach Jason Nichols said. We didnt play our best basketball this weekend. I think our kids would agree. But you have to give credit to the teams we faced. I think we got a reminder of just how difficult it is to win down here.
Montini missed five straight free throws in the final two minutes, three of them on front ends of 1-and-1s. Kerstein, a 72 percent foul shooter, missed a pair after a Morton intentional foul but given a mulligan calmly sank a pair for the win.
It was pretty nerve-wracking, a lot of pressure, Kerstein said, but I knew I had the support of my teammates.
Credit Kerstein and fellow freshman Paulina Castro for Montinis comeback.
The Broncos trailed at halftime just twice all year coming into the weekend, but for the second time in two days ice-cold shooting was a culprit in a 19-16 halftime deficit. Montini was 0 of 13 from 3-point range in the first half, missing its first 14 3s.
Morton still led 21-18 two-plus minutes into the second half after a basket by Illinois recruit Sarah Livingston, but just eight seconds after checking in Castro knocked down a corner 3 for the tie.
Kerstein followed with another corner 3 for the lead, Castro hit a pullup 3 in transition and Kerstein capped off the all-freshman 11-0 run with a tough shot in the lane off glass for a 29-21 lead.
Castro later hit another 3 in the fourth quarter. The 5-foot-5 freshman hit 25 3s at a 46.3 percent rate this season. She and Kerstein also hit clutch fourth-quarter 3s to beat Plainfield East in December.
My teammates and my coach keep telling me to shoot it, Castro said. If you dont shoot it, they cant go in. You just have to have confidence.
Montini needed its freshman heroics, with leading scorer Kateri Stone again slowed by a bad ankle.
On Saturday Stone played just 11 minutes, sparingly in the second half, and took just 1 shot. Castro only got in for a minute Friday but made her presence felt Saturday.
If youre not going to guard her, shes going to shoot it and thats what she did, Nichols said of Castro. Im kicking myself in the butt a little bit for not going to her yesterday. Maybe I learned a little something.
Kelly Karlis capped off an outstanding personal weekend with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals, a Karlis jumper with 4:50 left giving Montini its biggest lead at 40-30. Castro added 9, Sara Ross 8 and Kerstein 7 for Montini, which hit 5 of its last 11 3s. Livingston had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Morton (30-6).
Montinis only senior starter, Malayna Johnson, scored 5 points with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. In a way, Montini and the Johnsons came full circle at state. Five years ago, led by Malaynas older sister Michala, Montini won its first state trophy, beating this years Class 3A champ Quincy Notre Dame in the third-place game.
Malayna Johnson, her Montini playing days concluded, will join Michala at Wisconsin next year.
Im excited to be here, but Im also excited to be playing with my sister next year, Johnson said. Right now Im just living in the moment.
Montini returns every other player next year, and could be preseason No. 1 in Class 3A.
In many ways the Broncos broke barriers this year. They overcame the loss of four transfers, defeated defending Class 4A champ Whitney Young for their first win at the McDonalds Shootout and set a playoff win record with their 26th straight.
This weekend, perhaps, was a reminder that its not as easy as Montinis made it look.
We talked about it before the game, that we are a standard now and that teams want to beat us, Nichols said. Its disappointing that we did not play in the championship game, but when you sit back you realize all that we accomplished.
Follow Josh on Twitter@jwelge96


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Nearly 300 Students Recognized at December Graduation Ceremony
- 12-17-2012
- By Jeffrey R. Wakefield
Just a few years back, UVM's December graduation ceremony was a relatively modest affair. A few score graduates, dressed in ordinary attire, sat in pews in Ira Allen Chapel with their families, heard speeches from the president and other governance leaders, attended a reception – and went on their way. Some came back in May for a proper ceremony, but for many, December's relative informalities were all the pomp and circumstance they had to show for the hard work and persistence that had earned them a UVM degree.
In 2012 the university decided to turn the event into one more worthy of its participants, and on Saturday, Dec. 15, the second edition of the more ambitious ceremony -- officially, UVM's 210th commencement -- was on full, splendid display in the Multipurpose Room in Patrick Athletic Complex.
With a platform party several dozen strong, a flower bedecked stage, scurrying event coordinators with t-shirts and headphones, Vermont Public Television cameras and an audience of 2,500 filling every inch of the space, it would have been easy to mistake the event for those rained out May commencements that are held in the same space.
To culminate the event, nearly 300 graduates dressed in cap and gown processed individually across the stage to be hooded, in the case of graduate students, or to receive diploma covers. Students will receive diplomas in January after the Faculty Senate has verified their coursework and grades for the fall semester.
Not only did the December event rival its May cousin, it was in some ways superior – at least in its timing, said Faculty Senate president Julie Roberts, who presided over the proceedings and made brief opening remarks.
"…December gives you an off‑season jump on the job market, a little extra time to hone that resume and line up your references," she said. "Those going on to graduate school will have a little more time, now that undergraduate school is finished, to navigate that process, which can certainly be stressful, in a more contemplatory manner."
2012 graduates also heard a full-fledged address from UVM President Tom Sullivan just as they would in May, complete with a reference to John Kennedy and an exhortation to give back to society.
"Remember that with your talent, your education, your privilege and most importantly, your passion, you can solve the problems of what President Kennedy called the human destiny," he said. "How do you want to change the world?"
And not least, the ceremony featured an official commencement speaker, Rachel Johnson, Robert L. Bickford Green and Gold Professor, former dean of the UVM's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a nationally prominent nutritionist.
As a student, Johnson said, she had been inspired by her professors. But after a career of teaching, she had come full circle and was now inspired by her students.
After telling the stories of two particularly noteworthy students, Johnson turned the message back on her audience. "You can see why our students inspire me," she said. "You are the future. And based on what I see every day at UVM, our future is in good and capable hands."
For the first time, honorary degrees were conferred at the December event, to Theresa L. Tomasi and, posthumously, Carl H. Reidel.
Tomasi, a class of 1950 alumna who adopted 27 children from countries around the world as a single mother and served in leadership positions for 29 years at the DeGoesbriand Hospital and the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont in Burlington, accepted the award in person.
Accepting on behalf of Reidel, who passed away in November 2011, was his wife Jean Richardson, a UVM professor emerita and former president of the Faculty Senate. Reidel launched the nation's first university-wide interdisciplinary Environmental Program at UVM in 1972, and served as vice president of the National Wildlife Federation, director of the National Parks Association, the first chair of the Citizen Advisory Committee on the Future of Lake Champlain and as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives.
A total of 283 graduates participated in the ceremony. Receiving recognition were 14 doctoral students, 53 masters students and 216 undergraduate students. In all, 632 students were eligible to participate: 192 graduate students and 440 undergraduates.
The December ceremony recognizes those students who completed their coursework at the end of the summer or who will complete degree requirements at the end of the fall semester.


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Ex-investment adviser pleads to securities fraud
Michael Drilling of Grand Marais pleaded guilty in federal court on April 17 to one count of securities fraud. The 47-year-old investment adviser was charged with defrauding 13 investors of nearly $6 million.
Drilling was a seasonal employee at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters the summers of 2012 and 2013 and lived at the Tip-of-the-Trail property he purchased at a county auction in June of last year.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Rank told WTIP that Drilling admitted to creating a scheme to defraud his investment advisory clients through his company, Financial Advisory Partners LLC. Drilling defrauded clients by stealing over $5.6 million of their investment funds between January 2010 and November 2013.
While the names of the defrauded investors are not public information, the plea agreement does state one such investor was from Minnesota. The rest apparently were located throughout the country.
Prior to establishing his own investment firm in May 2009, Drilling had worked in the field since 1995. The Star Tribune reports defense attorney Allan Caplan said Drilling, formerly of Prior Lake, spent the money on himself and lost it in investments and at casinos. Rank said some of Drilling's victims lost their life savings.
According to the plea agreement, Drilling agreed to forfeit all real and personal property derived from proceeds traceable to the frauds. This could include a property in Sedona, Arizona as well as the Tip-of-the-Trail property.
Sentencing will likely take place this summer after a full investigation. Drilling faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, supervised release and up to $150,000 and restitution.


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Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez says the squad enjoy the pressing game employed by Mauricio Pochettino.
The Saints sit in 3rd spot in the Premier League table after a 2-0 win against Fulham on Saturday, meaning their best run in the top-flight continues.
Their superb pressing left Martin Jol's side chasing shadows, with the Cottagers not settling throughout the game at St Mary's.
Rodriguez was able to flick the ball on for his compatriot Rickie Lambert to score the opener, with Lambert returning the favour for the second.
Rodriguez admits the pressing game, the constant closing down and harassing of their opponents is hard work, but worth it when the results keep on coming.
"It's enjoyable because the hunger is there which comes from the pressing and working hard," he was quoted by Sky Sports.
"We all enjoy the pressing when we're creating chances, but the main thing for us is keeping clean sheets.
"We worked really hard by winning the ball in good places and creating a lot of chances as you can see from the stats so it was a really enjoyable game.
"It was really good. We were very controlling of the game and we created so many chances and the reward is all down to how hard we've worked and to the belief which we've had from day one.
"It is no shock really. We know the performances that we're capable of and to improve upon for the next game. It's a great place to be at the moment, and everyone is the camp is enjoying it and loving it.
"It's great competition throughout the team from the back and up front it's all a challenge, but it's a good one and a healthy one because everyone wants each other to do well.
"It's the same throughout the team, and there's a really good atmosphere for us to be involved in.
"It's always pleasing to score a goal and to play like we did I think was unbelievable, so we're all very chuffed with it. We pressed really high and it came off for us."
Rodriguez was in and out of the Saints team in the early part of the 2013/14 campaign, but returned to the starting line-up for last week's 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford, and retained his spot in the home win against Fulham.
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text:
To the editor:
Well folks, the "I got mine, to hell with you" members of the House of Representatives just passed another bill on July11. This one is a flat out give away to the rich and gives the poor and needy of our Great Nation a slap in the face.
You know, she got the farm and I got the shaft.
Well that's what 40 million needy Americans woke up singing this morning. Anyone ever hear of the Farm Bill? Well, let me give you a little history lesson. Fifty years ago our then wise Congress implemented a program that would subsidize farmers who were having trouble making ends meet. This could be due to drought, insect infestation, whatever. They would be taken care of by our Government. After all, these good people were the providers of the beard basket of our Nation.
You remember them?
He had a pair of blue overalls on; she had an apron over her dress. Good hard- working folks.
Well, a few things have changed since those times. Now, Big Farma owns the majority of these mom-and-pop operations. One thing that has not changed, that is the Government giveaways to these "farmers." Why? Well, somewhere on the way to the chapel the Democratic said "what about the people who are hungry?" Enter the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program." Food stamps, if you will.
Obviously this was a compromise, pardon the cuss word, to obtain bipartisan support for the program. So the beat went on for 50 years, until July 11, 2013. That was the day that the Republicans in the House decided to slit their own throats. Let me explain. First of all, they passed the entire bill in 10 hours, violating their own rule of transparency, along with a three day waiting period (their rule), to allow their members time to at least read the bill. They also prohibited Legislators from introducing any amendments to the bill. Add to this list of shameful behavior, the fact that they disallowed any verbiage in the bill that would have prevented law makers from not receiving any benefits from the bill they were about to vote on. You want to talk about political corruption; well you got it right here in the Republican controlled United States House of Representatives.
Now to the political suicide pact they made with themselves. They denied 40 million citizens of greatly needed food stamps to feed their families, at the same time handing out millions of dollars to 800,000 Big Farma companies. That's a 50 to 1 margin, considering the people that got screwed to the big corporations who are sitting around waiting for their government hand out checks. Ever heard of General Custer at Little Big Horn? See you morons at the ballot box.
Jim Healy
Cape Coral


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In addition to PC, Phantasy Star Online 2 will be available on the PlayStation Vita. Sega producer Sakai Satoshi announced the news today, saying he wanted to release the game on a home platform.
Phantasy Star Online fans might want to grab both versions, because they'll both use the same servers, and you'll be able to play the same character across both versions. That means you never technically have to leave the world, which for some MMO players is finally the realization of a long, strange dream.
A video of the Vita version is below, and you may notice the footage looks a little less-than-stellar. Andriasang reports that the Vita version is only 10% finished, so it lacks shaders and is generally unoptimized. Satoshi says that once it is complete, it will approach the higher end of the PC's graphical ability.


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welcome, loganville here. you will enjoy hanging.
welcome, loganville here. you will enjoy hanging.
"A womans place is on the trail"
Welcome. I'm pretty new to hangin' also so probably not much help but the folks here are a wealth of information and they are all willing to share. I'm in Atlanta. Suggestion: Look up the Atlanta Outdoor Club (AOC) and join the group. Once you join you can sign up for all sorts of events from hiking, to backpacking, camping, travel to other places, etc. It's not a exclusive hammock group but who cares. It's all about getting outside and livin' life! Be aware that membership and the events are exclusive to 21 years and up so that means no children are allowed on the trips.
Hey GGT. I'm new to the hang and HF. Live just south of the Perimeter. Have lots of gear but have yet to get hammock together. Plan to Make a DIY HH Clone with help and advice from the Forum People that live in the woods.
all these ga folks its a beautiful thing. be nice to have a ga hang in the future.
So many GA folks! Very cool! A GA hang needs to happen soon!
Last edited by yeselijah; 05-06-2010 at 08:09. Reason: typo
I bumped this thread from a few months ago, maybe we'll get some more action going.
Hello from Lawrenceville GA. Welcome to the forums. Lots of GA folks we do need a GA hang!!!
"Sometimes only nature felt real, while all human monuments and actions seemed to be the settings and the plots of dreams"
"So many people live in the past or the future and betray the present."
Welcome to the forums. Rome, GA here.
Wow you are a friendly bunch on here
Thanks for all the good information, and the nice comments.
So i looked at Shugs videos, briefly.....they are pretty action packed huh ill need to sit down and go through them a few more times i think. then save up for all the 'accessories' (dutch clips, lightweight rope etc)
Ill be up for a hang as long as its a weekend sometime, and i have enough notice(i often work weekends). i too like to have someone physically help me out with new knots etc.
Im looking into buying a tarp not sure how much ill need one in GA?? (im thinking of big blue one from walmart at the moment-i spent too much on my hammock and slap straps )
I wondering what sort of rope to use with it-3mm utility rope??? I was wondering if 2mm rope would be sufficient?? i was also wondering how long a length i would need to buy. i say 50 ft in rei for fairly cheap and was thinking of getting that and hacking it up to make a rope for the tarp and tie downs for the edges.
I was also thinking of making some home made bug netting just because it may be cheaper?? any ideas on where to buy some netting. i have access to a sewing machine. im not too concerned with netting as i dont seem to have sweet meat and the mosquitos tend to stay away from me (im nore concerned about waking up to spiders or other larger bugs crawling over me)
lots of wonderings, lots of questions, lots of hammock envy i know....i guess it just comes with getting new toys
later dudes/dudettes


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John J. Woodroof
John J. Woodroof
worked for Electric Boat
John J. Woodroof, 53, a multi-trade apprentice for Electric Boat died February 10, 2012 at home. He was the beloved husband of Barbara A. (Borello) Woodroof for 25 years.
He was a son of the late Mary (Ferreira) Woodroof.
John was the loving father of Steven J. Pattie and brother of Nicky Woodroof, Sharon Balcom, Shirley Hebert, Tina Pelletier and Sandra Woodroof.
His funeral service will be held Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Chapel, 2435 Warwick Ave. Visiting hours will be from 3-7 p.m. Flowers are respectfully omitted. For information and condolences visit www.thequinnfuneralhome.com.


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"Mimic" is a film I feel many horror fans look back to through retroactive produced rose-colored glasses. Most of this perception understandably comes from the current status of the film's director and writer Guillermo del Toro as a cultural icon for both genre fans and international cinema. But at the time "Mimic" was initially released del Toro had yet to prove his filmmaking prowess despite the success of "Cronos".
I've talked about my childhood enough in my reviews that I'm sure you've been able to deduce what everyone who knows me knows to be true; I was a pretty weird kid. My favorite movie when I was 10? "Evil Dead". Favorite TV show? "Twin Peaks". Boyhood crush? Mira Sorvino. At some point, my Dad took me to go see "Mimic" in theaters and something about the blonde beauty caused 11 year old me to start seriously crushing.
Here's 5 clips from "Dexter" season 4, which I won't watch because I'm still making my way through season 3, which by the way has been just as kick ass as the first two so far. Highly recommended.
Zombies "strike" Chicago bowling alley... hipsters rejoice?
Today sees the announcement of "Never Sleep Again: The Elm St. Legacy", a retrospective documentary on the Nightmare series. It comes co-directed from the man who brought us "His Name Was Jason", but promises to be more in-depth and informational, which sounds good to me. I enjoyed "His Name...", but couldn't get over the fact that it felt like giving Jason Voorhees a blowjob for 90 minutes. A little more substance this time around would be a great thing.
Another purported "Cloverfield 2" viral video. The only thing that doesn't make sense to me is why someone would be so excited about moving to NYC after what happened just a few years ago (In the "Cloverfield" universe that is). The city looks to be in awfully good shape for one that was decimated by a giant crab-monster thing.
Let me just state this on the record right now... "Ring 3D" sounds like possibly the worst idea I've ever heard. Know this.
I knew a guy that had a pet scorpion once. I think I asked him "what the fuck is wrong with you?" every time I saw him. I guess I didn't see the point in owning a creature that could sting the living shit out of you at any moment whether or not the venom was removed.
Well it's finally happened. The ants have risen from the grave to take their revenge on mankind for years of abuse and mistreatment. Hope you're happy!
Last night, I came home to my apartment to discover that my power was half out. Then it went all the way out. Then, my burglar alarm shorted out and went off for an hour until my landlord could drive out and pull the plug.


text:
Can there be any surprise here?
An internal investigation, with nobody sworn in, and no subpoena power, finds the institution that empowers it blameless.
Lets have an investigation of why they wasted the money doing this investigation. No doubt that will find no fault either.
Why exactly should your college defend you when you comit a crime?
Why should commiting suicide make you an hero?
Let's ask Jesus.
Jesus says martyrdom is ok with him, that the automatic disdain for those who commit suicide is a terrible reflection of a desire to judge people and ignore their problems rather than embrace them with the spirit of love which he endorsed.
Not to mention that MIT would expose itself to civil litigation from the journal publishers if they didn't cooperate.
Not to mention that he wasn't a student at MIT.
Why exactly should your college defend you when you comit a crime?
Well, it wasn't even his college...
But what he did should most certainly not be a crime (just a civil tort instead), and he was charge not just with the "crimes" he committed but a number he most certainly did not commit, and MIT was in a position to know for a fact that the charges were wildly exaggerated, and universities are supposed to represent and defend academic freedom, and as an alum I am deeply disappointed in the administration's behavior.
Cynical. Very cynical. Not really wrong, but it misses subtlety. In this case we have a government with a heavy-handed response to an active resistance protest. It looks terrible, because it got a political activist arrested for what wasn't intended to do harm. It doesn't matter what others involved did, the blame rests with the DoJ for "cracking down" on a crime that was meant to do no harm.
It wasn't MITs fault this kid killed himself.
Please don't call him a kid, that carries connotations of irresponsibility. He was a grown man, and what would you prefer? Years of harassment by the DoJ and apathy by one of the (until now) most respected technical universities who are supposed to defend this sort of thing and have in the past, and then on top of that jail time for a so-called "crime" that did no damage. Or as you so stupidly put it: "Off yourself". It was MIT's fault as much as the DoJ's and his own.
MIT has a responsibility to defend someone who broke into one of their closets and installed a device?
Oh sure, academic freedom and all of that.
Seriously, though, I can't even imagine why they'd want to encourage that. Maybe not throw him to the sharks, but why is it MIT's responsibility to save him from his own plan?
I do agree that he wasn't a kid, although I think everyone wants to treat him that way. Probably because see him as a poor broken bird due to suicide.
Aside from that, though, that doesn't mean I agree with the way the prosecution was handled. That's classic Federal overkill. He was definitely guilty of trespass and probably some civil stuff, but I can't see why they'd go farther than that. Still, breaking the law is always a very, very dicey prospect as a method of protest, even in more benign jurisdictions, and he should have known that.
Responsibility: No.
However lets look at this from the perspective of human decency. If, for instance, a stray dog took shelter on your porch, do you have any responsibility to protect it from the neighborhood bully that's chasing it with a baseball bat? Hell, the dog is trespassing. Breaking the law! Hand it over to whoever is pursuing it and let the punishment commence. As you watch the animal getting battered and beaten, does that make you a bad person?
Or do you just keep telling yourself : Not my re
Uh. Dogs don't trespass. And the "bully", (ie. The Government) was chasing Swartz *after* he trespassed, not before.
I know what you think you're saying, but it's not the same thing. It's more like someone trespassing, you calling the cops because you heard someone outside messing with your wiring, and then watching some kid being shoved in the back of a police car under arrest in cuffs. You probably had no intention of having the boy next door dragged away in cuffs for simply hooking up to your cable TV
The analogy isn't perfect, but it captures the spirit of the incident. Standing by idly (which is exactly what MIT did) while someone else is brutalized defies every bit of human decency. Yes, the guy broke the law, but his crimes were relatively minor, and didn't warrant the attention they were given.
Yes, Aaron Swartz is the one who killed himself, but the prosecution is the one who made that an attractive option. They hounded, harassed, browbeat, threatened, embarrassed and otherwise did everything they
The prosecutor set out to terrify him to the point that he would see no alternatives and no hope. The prosecutor was successful. I don't have much problem in considering terrifying someone into killing themselves to be manslaughter.
lame rests with the DoJ for "cracking down" on a crime that was meant to do no harm.
The intended harm was to deprive JSTORS of the revenue it requires to handle the peer reviews and publish papers.
Swartz broke the law and decided to not stand up for his principles.
Unless it was an external non-related investigating body doing the work, I sincerely doubt the veracity of their conclusions
Honestly, with the name Hal Abelson on the report's cover, I don't think anyone would would have berated you had you had higher expectations.
It's turtles, I mean investigations, all the way down.
Unless it was an external non-related investigating body doing the work, I sincerely doubt the veracity of their conclusions. You'd think the most scientifically advanced (okay, arguably) place of higher learning in the world would have tried to remove any perception of bias on the part of the investigating body. Hire an outside firm at the very least.
That said, have you read the findings of the report? I don't think you'd want to doubt the veracity of some of their conclusions... they actually sound a lot like what I sometimes consider "rants" on slashdot... talking about protecting the hacker community, preventing chill, encouraging freedom of academic investigation, even for people not directly related to the institution, etc.
The paper has some great recommendations, and I hope they get followed, not just by MIT, but by any other educational institut
Forget the masturbatory self-congratulation that is this report. They almost certainly have something to hide. A reporter at Wired submitted a FOIA request for Aaron's Secret Service file. A judge OKed the release of the file but then MIT intervened to block the release!
See http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/07/mit-swartz-intervene/all/1 [wired.com]
Supposedly, it is _extremely_ rare for non-governmental entities to block FOIA requests. There must be something in there that MIT doesn't want to see the light of day.
They're trying to block it because staff are named in the report and identified in other way (such as by title or affiliation where a name and contact information could be quickly acquire with duckduckgo.com or another search engine).
After Aaron committed suicide several staff at the Institute received very frightening and detailed death threats both via email and phone. One particular threat involved a "swatting" call that included a caller saying he was a gunman on his way to kill specific employees by na
OK. I was not aware of the threats/SWATings that have occurred already. Perhaps more than the names could be redacted so that peoples identities could not be found out with bing (or another search engine). Regardless, if the people making these threats (which I don't condone by the way), then the identities of people involved are already known by at least some people.
I think that allowing the release of the Secret Service file with go a LONG way toward making amends for any wrongdoing, perceived or real. Pe
Well, what's the point then blocking it if the death threats are happening already to specific members of the staff? it certainly doesn't make it sound like they're clean on it. Maybe they're just shitty by going along with the SS but that's just as shitty in the end.
Still I find it ridiculous that anyone who is involved with FOIA can block them. Call yourself a death threat and block the FOIA on government deal that you got under the table..
Can there be any surprise here?
An internal investigation, with nobody sworn in, and no subpoena power, finds the institution that empowers it blameless.
Lets have an investigation of why they wasted the money doing this investigation. No doubt that will find no fault either.
There's no surprise here -- you obviously didn't read the report. Just going to the findings/questions sections is very illuminating.
First off, this investigation was called by the president of MIT, but was only partly internal.
Second: MIT wasn't found blameless in the findings (it's even in TFS).
Thirdly, if you read the President's report or the prolog to the report, you'll see that the report wasn't about finding MIT guilty of anything, it was to get a third-party summary of what actually happened and wh
"Swartz, a well-known activist, killed himself earlier this year while being prosecuted for federal computer crimes after he improperly downloaded millions of academic research articles." (emphasis added)
Given that: 1) he wasn't convicted; 2) the journals in question didn't have the right to the works they were selling access to (the authors were generally funded by university/public money, and thus did not hold the copyright and thus could not transfer the rights to the journal); 3) its even debatable if he violated the TOS (he was apparently doing a research project related to the papers, presumably some sort of meta study, which could might be acceptable use for millions of papers), it seems inaccurate to say his downloads were "Improper".
I personally think his actions were perfectly acceptable, proper and legal.
If anything he was properly releasing information that was improperly withheld.
If anything he was properly releasing information that was improperly withheld.
The articles in question weren't actually released (don't confuse this with his freeing of the PACER documents, which was clearly legal and accepted, and he paid for!). JSTOR (the claimed owner of the documents in this case) reached an out of court settlement and Aaron Swartz did not release them (and there is no indication that he ever intended to). It was after that that the United States federal government pressed criminal charges.
Exactly, this was simply bullying writ large by US Attorney Carmen Ortiz.
Yes, this case demonstrates the misuse of power (for personal gain) by Prosecutors who's sole motivation is a stunning WIN record so that they will gain promotions and raises
That seems like a good term for the politicians of the last ~30 years.
This is an interesting claim: "the authors were generally funded by university/public money, and thus did not hold the copyright and thus could not transfer the rights to the journal."
Unfortunately, I don't think this is true. You are assuming that research publications funded by government money (federal, state, etc) constitute a "work for hire" under copyright law. I've never seen such an agreement, and the one I just looked up (University of Texas) specifically states that employees retain ownership of
"Swartz, a well-known activist, killed himself earlier this year while being prosecuted for federal computer crimes after he improperly downloaded millions of academic research articles." (emphasis added)
Given that: 1) he wasn't convicted; 2) the journals in question didn't have the right to the works they were selling access to (the authors were generally funded by university/public money, and thus did not hold the copyright and thus could not transfer the rights to the journal); 3) its even debatable if he violated the TOS (he was apparently doing a research project related to the papers, presumably some sort of meta study, which could might be acceptable use for millions of papers), it seems inaccurate to say his downloads were "Improper".
I personally think his actions were perfectly acceptable, proper and legal.
So do you personally think that my actions would be acceptable, proper and legal if I hid a laptop in your house and downloaded all content I found on your network that I felt you didn't legally have access to?
Four wrongs don't make a right.
Swartz was definitely improperly downloading information. His actions surrounding the event speak to that as much as the hidden laptop and the license agreement. However, I sometimes improperly open a door by using the key instead of the doorknob -- this isn't a felony
The journals in question didn't have the right to the works they were selling access to (the authors were generally funded by university/public money, and thus did not hold the copyright and thus could not transfer the rights to the journal);
This statement has no basis in the law of the United States, it is mere sophistry posing as a postulation of fact. University authors (even publicly funded ones) retain rights to their own work. They're the author. You are confusing by degree restrictions placed on what is patentable for what is copyrightable - they are not the same, restrictions on one don't cross to the other - and there are very VERY few strings attached even to patenting work funded by public monies in the United States.
It is not debatable that he breached the TOS - because he was not a student or faculty (or even invitee) of MIT. Those terms of service posted at MIT's site include that you must be a student/faculty/staff to access JSTOR. JSTOR saw that someone at MIT was systemically downloading every journal in their database -- they asked MIT to look into it. MIT did. MIT took steps to stop whomever was downloading the journals from doing so - Swartz then designed around that limitation - leaving a laptop hidden under a box in a closet. MIT found the laptop and put a camera there -- they saw Swartz enter the closet (taking steps to hide his face while sneaking in to engage in his -- what did you call it "meta study"). When a police officer approached Swartz, he fled (itself a criminal act) and was arrested in the middle of trying to ditch the hard drive full of data.
So, he traveled to MIT from the campus where he was on staff (and had access to JSTOR there), hid a device on campus to downloand the files, hid his face as he came and went, fled from police, and tried to ditch the stolen items when he was accosted. There is a serious question whether or not Swartz knew what he was doing was against the law? Seriously? Not buying it.
the most MIT could complain about would've been a momentary spike in their bandwidth usage.
...and breaking & entering, trespassing an unauthorized access to a computer system.
I think JSTOR was taken aback by their sudden role in the case and has made some good moves since (starting with the decision to oppose prosecution in that case).
There are a substantial number of librarians there, who tend to have fairly civic-minded views, and see themselves as on the pro-information-dissemination side of things. The main counteracting forces are: 1) for post-1923 journals, the journals rather than JSTOR ultimately own the copyright, so JSTOR has to work with them to be allowed to digitize
Yes, but the comment is still directly linking his suicide to the actions of MIT. If she'd really been trying to center her focus on MIT, she would have left the fact that Aaron killed himself out of that comment and just stated something like: "We feel MIT had a greater responsibility to academic freedom to act and that it has let down the community". Instead, she suicide shamed them, the words were just ordered in a different way.
And since he died of suicide caused by depression, there is actually no wa
"Lately there has also been a lot of sympathy expressed for people who committed suicide after being bullied, gay-bashed, or slut-shamed. "
I think that if someone is going to kill themselves over bad things others have done to them, their time might be better spent killing their enemies instead, or first.
I have no enemies I know of, and lead a peaceful life. If I were so distressed by the actions of someone else that I was going to check out, I'd make damn sure they were deader than a pickled herring so the
"Because we're not doing a review to correct any possible problems, we're doing a review so that we can tell people we did a review and didn't find any problems.
"Because we're not doing a review to correct any possible problems, we're doing a review so that we can tell people we did a review and didn't find any problems.
...except that the review found problems. Did you read it?
Near the end of the report:
In concluding this review, we recognize the desire for a simple take-away, a conclusion that "if MIT had only done this rather than that, things would have turned out OK." We can't offer one. There were too many choices, too many might-have-beens, too great an emotional shock, and a public response that has been supercharged by the power of the Internet, the same power that Aaron Swartz epitomized and that he helped to create. Even today, with the benefit of hind
Glad the truth finally came out in an independent investigation.
A young man is dead because the government set out to destroy his life over some documents. Beyond that, very little matters at this point.
You make it sound like people without basic life skills should be allowed to ignore the law. That's absurd. There are literally millions of people who have had worse interactions with the government and spend much more time in much more difficult incarcerations than Mr. Swartz faced. If Mr. Swartz was particularly unable to deal with the world he should not have made such an effort to cause trouble for himself.
The problem with your argument is that he did not actually ignore the law. Mr. Swartz did have access to JSTOR and was authorized to access the material he accessed. At worst, he entered an IT closet. If he damaged any part of the closet, I wouldn't know, as I consider it such a minor matter as to be negligible in this case. Especially since he did have the right to have his laptop on that network.
If you are interested, a few months ago the new yorker had a great article detailing exactly what happened here with first hand interviews with most of the players. You can then make your own decisions.
Requiem for a dream: the tragedy of aaron swartz [newyorker.com]
What I got out of the article was 1) He was not trying to "make a statement" with his "hacking" action, but that was how the government portraited it. 2) He was very ecentric, and primarily seems to have killed himself because of what the legal action would have done to his future career. He had aspirations of running a foundation or becoming active in politics, and he felt that having a criminal record crippled his future. 3) One of the tipping points was having many of his personal correspondences subpenaed, as he was a very private person, which the government did solely to embarrass him, by making him and his girlfriends correspondences over the years, public.
In the end though, I think he just over reacted. His suicide was his doing and no one elses. Sometimes life will try and break you down and if you give up, then you die. I think if he had more robust coping strategies he could have seen that this was just a speed bump on the road of life and not over reacted by killing himself. The "crimes" he committed were not really that bad, and prosecutors are going to be mean and aggressive - that is their job. However of course, I was not in his shoes, so who am i to judge.
It is really just a tragedy.
He did have a robust coping strategy. The government simply stripped him of it. Thats why the case is fucked up.
If I tell the media to publicize the possibility that you broke into a school, stolen millions of dollars of 'confidential' information and convince your family, friends and anyone else around you that you're already guilty; what kind of coping strategy are you left with?
Oh and your personal assets have been frozen and you're now being watched by the authorities/media, so you can't run away. Oh an
If I tell the media to publicize the possibility that you broke into a school,
Considering they had him on tape doing the break in and the equipment he left in the wiring closet, "possibility" does not apply here.
Swartz knew there would be consequences for his action but was not prepared to accept them. If you can't do the time don't do the crime. If you want to be a political activist look at Nelson Mandela. He spent may years in prison for what he believed in and didn't kill himself.
Every time people say this I refer them to the following link:
http://threefelonies.com/Youtoo/tabid/86/Default.aspx [threefelonies.com]
It has been proven time and after time in history, that ANY criminal justice system is just a political tool for the elite ruling class to suppress those who try to unseat them.
Since what Swatrz did was none of these things and the things he did he knew were illegal that article does not apply to this situation.
What? No, he didn't have a robust coping strategy. Unless you mean he had a robust coping strategy for dealing with threats at the level of internet trolls or something.
He killed himself. There are people who are in jail for life who don't kill themselves. THAT is a robust coping strategy. Granted, he had a lot more to lose than your usual inmate, but did he think that he was going to just break the law and sort of get away with it?
He didn't know what the heck he got himself into is what happened, but
By doing nothing, MIT implicitly condoned the prosecutor's infamous behavior. Neutrality was a pocket signature. They knew this and they persisted in their inaction.
Even after the death of a person, MIT's refusal to condemn its actions shows a lack of moral courage. They should be ashamed of themselves.
By doing nothing, MIT implicitly condoned the prosecutor's infamous behavior. Neutrality was a pocket signature. They knew this and they persisted in their inaction.
Even after the death of a person, MIT's refusal to condemn its actions shows a lack of moral courage. They should be ashamed of themselves.
...and in politer words, this is precisely what the conclusion of the report says, and goes one further to say that this kind of situation is precisely where MIT should be a LEADER, not avoiding by refusing to step in.
I disagree. MIT was involved. They did not step back from the process. They allowed the process to occur, knowing that the boy would end up in jail, dead, or both.
MIT didn't do anything at all.
Who are we to try to influence the DoJ? It's not our job.
Let's be honest here.
If you did have a B&E and they were charged with...oh... call it use of a deadly weapon for having a screwdriver they used to open the door.
Well... it shouldn't hold up and not really your problem.
If they were your guest -- say, breaking into your guesthouse they rented and would've reimbursed you... then... yeah, you should defend that they had a right to be there even if not by that manner. They're your guest after all...
But more interestingly, if they were a petty burgler,
Would it be wrong to walk right by, completely ignore and not even dial 911 for a bloodied driver in a car wreck when you're the only one who could help? Would it be wrong to ignore the sight of several police officers ruthlessly beating on someone in the street if you had a camera in hand (or in pocket, as we all do) and were obscured enough that you could guarantee your own safety? If you see a child about to unwittingly run off a cliff and don't even do so much as say, "Hey kid! Watch out!", would that be wrong?
There are lots of hypothetical situations where we could say we didn't do anything wrong. But when you willingly neglect to do the right thing, especially when it carries no potential of harm you, it amounts to the same.
Maybe they didn't actively participate in any wrongdoing, but they are guilty as hell of willful ignorance.
In the words of Bishop Desmond Tutu: "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality."
In the words of Elie Wiesel: "I swore never to be silent whenever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. "
In the
Remember that Aaron has a history of conflicts with the US Federal government that long preceded MIT/JSTOR.
In Chicago in 2008, he liberated the pay-walled PACER federal court records.
The FBI investigated and decided he didn't do anything wrong.
He then embarrassed the FBI by doing a FOIA for his file, and posted it on his blog.
This is when I first heard of Aaron -- It really made FBI look like the Keystone cops !
Aaron then proved himself to be a very effective leader and organizer in the defeat of SOPA last
If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith. -- Albert Einstein


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They are amazingly slim and the titanium is quite strong and scratch resistant. I own a black one and its a beatiful watch, quite comfortable to wear and the japanese movement is fairly accurate (obviously its not a several thousand dollar watch but...), and it has the date on it. The design is very modern and clean and they are very afforda
True binary mode is damn hard to read fast- the BCD version is much easier.
I'd send it back - obviously they sent you the EBCDIC model by mistake.
Higuchi [higuchi-inc.com] is a great place for Japanese watches, BTW. They ship to USA.
Nice, but a $50 Timex or Boliva will tell the time just as well.
I've heard that it was developed because Bill Gates mentioned to a Timex executive that he'd always wanted a watch he could set from his PC, so they came up with one. Mine is a few years old and reads barcodes off the screen; the newest ones hook up with USB. In either case, get one and geek out.
The Rolex Blackface Oyster is coveted worldwide.
"Naturally, it was Ian Fleming who started it all. He knew that a gentleman's choice of timepiece says as much about him as does his Saville Row suit. [hmss.com] He took the time to specify Bond's choice. According to Fleming, and he should know, Bond wears a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer on an expanding metal bracelet. He tells us so in chapter 15 of On Her Majesty's Secret Service
I remember an old saying that went:
"A man with two watches doesn't know what time it is"
My watch is a Casio MTG with a black metal band.
Syncs to an atomic clock every night, solar cell keeps battery charged, simply rasing my arm and tilting my wrist to read it turns on the backlight for a few seconds.
It's nice to know the accurate time. Isn't that what a watch is for?
Not geeky, no gizmos or doodads, but Storm watches [stormwatches.com] look the coolest (and are fairly cheap, too).
I have two Storms, one Diesel [watchesplanet.com] and a beautiful St. Moritz [st-moritz.com] for scubadiving. Am always on the lookout for nicely designed watches.
I'm not sure why this concept never caught on but I wish some designer would start making such watches again. Maybe it died when clocks started showing up on dashboards...but i still want one anyway!
You can get Timex OVA and maybe Nike watches with a similar design. However, they are digital watches designed for runners and other athletes needing to time their workouts. They probably wouldn't work in a formal setting.
Unfortunately I can't seem to find any pictures of it on the internet, but Fossil made a great watch which had Chinese/Japanese numerals for both the hours (printed on the face; not that hard to find) and the seconds (digital!). Sets you back about Y8500 in Japan. Mine has a deep blue face and always gets attention.
The men's version is big and heavy, and the LCDs forming the numbers aren't the rectangular ones we're used to. Rather, they crafted the shapes of them so that the numerals look like they're written with a brush or pen. There are a couple of kludges -- the "1", which is normally a horizontal line through the center, reuses the bottom of the "3" so it's a single horizontal line at the base, and rather than use the perfectly-circular kanji zero, they used the 10 sign instead (looks like a big plus sign if you're unfamiliar with Chinese). So it counts '57, 58, 59, 60, 01, 02...'
The problem is that when I wear it in the US, people inevitably say, "Oh, that's right; you live in Japan. Of course you'd have an all-Japanese watch."
To which I have to reply, "No, this thing is special and rare and you can't find it just anywhere. This is the first-ever watch with digital kanji numerals. See? Look at... hey, wait, come back here!"
True. Which lead me to the desire to have a least one really accurate wristwatch. Came across the Casio Waveceptor [casio.com] line and got what I was after. Loads of different styles (both analog and digital) and it receives a time calibration radio signal from an atomic clock in Colorado which keeps the watch accurate. Price was right, too. About the same as those Timex or Boliva models mentioned above.
If you suspect a man, don't employ him.


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Recent celebrity sightings at OpenTable restaurants…
* Rihanna sort of celebrated the release of her new album at Jay-Z's 40/40 in New Yorks' Flatiron District. [NY Post]
* Is-she-or-isn't-she pregnant again Weight Watchers spokesperson Jessica Simpson had supper at A Voce Madison with someone who makes shoes. [NY Post]
* In Manhattan, teen dream Justin Bieber dined at Asellina Ristorante with his manager, and then met up with maybe-squeeze Selena Gomez for some canoodling at Marble Lane. [NY Post]
* Also, on the left coast, the Nickolodeon set's favorite on-again-off-again couple Selebieber (?) shared a meal at Benihana in Los Angeles. [People]
* Funnyman Jason Sudekis and his actress g.f. Olivia Wilde only had eyes for each other at Buddakan in the Big Apple. [NY Post]
* A lot of New York's powerful ladies, including Sue Simmons, Joan Collins, and Hoda Kotb, turned up at Cafe Carlyle. [NY Post]
* Some of the New York Knicks had dinner with or at the same restaurant — Catch in NYC's MPD — as the Brooklyn Nets, presumably to debate whose arena is better. [NY Post]


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5 month doberman with has 2 UTI's - Answered by Dr. Lee
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May 17th, 2008, 07:23 PM
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 10
Originally Posted by
Dr Lee
A couple of thoughts.
First. This may just be the same urinary tract infection. The only way to be sure that a UTI is gone is to perform a sterile urine collection (cystocentesis) 10 - 14 days after completion of the antibiotic course and to have a negative urine culture test results. (and this still would not be 100% sure). With this said, for a first time infection, this is rarely done. I usually do exactly as your vet did - UTI signs, urinalysis that supported infection, 2-3 week course of antibioitics and 'see how it goes'.
When it 'comes back' - we are not sure if it is a new infection or if the first infection was just suppressed clinically for a period of time from the antibiotic course. So then I would do, again as your vet did, repeat urinalysis and add on blood work, radiographs and urine culture. When the test results come back, then I would adjust the antibiotics as needed and repeat a urine culture 10-14 days after completion of the medication.
If at that time the culture comes back negative, then I would monitor for recurrence. If the UTI recurred, then we would have a pet that is having recurrent infections. For females, since their urethra is shorter and wider than males, often times they get ascending urinary tract infections (bacteria that moves from the vulva, up the urethra and into the bladder). Individual susceptibility and anatomy are usually the cause of this. Obesity can help predispose pets to UTIs. Occasionally it is environmental if they get a lot of dirt/debris/feces on or around the vulva.
If the culture comes back positive, then it is important to note if it is the same bacteria or a different bacteria. Some UTIs need a prolonged course of antibiotics and some will switch from one bacteria to another due to suppression by the antibiotic and resistance of the other bacteria.
So at this point, I do not think there is any reason to panic. There may be a simple solution to this. Lets monitor the patient and see how this culture and the follow up culture turn out.
Hope this helps.
Ok, that just gave me a much better understanding of everything, so thanks!
That is everything we are doing, but this time we will be sure to check again after about 2 weeks of medication to make sure it is actually gone.
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DENVER - From where Ty Lawson sits, the Nuggets look like a different operation.
"There's been so many changes from when I got here to now," the veteran point guard told me Tuesday.
When he got here, Mark Warkentien was the general manager who made the wise decision to grab Lawson in a draft-day trade.
"I've had two or three different GMs. Then Masai (Ujiri) left. Now Tim Connelly's here. New coach. New assistant coaches. It's real different.
"Not that it's bad. It's just real different."
Finally, a voice of reason amidst a storm of Nuggets negativity. It belongs to Lawson, the team's MVP and Colorado's next NBA All-Star.
His voice of optimism clashes with the talking heads still whining over the firing of their buddy, George Karl. Lawson's voice isn't in sync with the negative Nellys who swear the Nuggets bought a one-way ticket to the draft lottery for basketball eternity.
Lawson's voice is on the money. Sorry to bust up the pity party, NBA. The Nuggets are going to be just fine, thanks. To take two steps forward, they had to take one step back.
But we equate change with the negative. In the unusual case of this Nuggets offseason, all of the change must mean something's wrong and, as a result, the Nuggets are in a bad place.
The sky is falling, and Pepsi Center is being smothered underneath the rubble left behind.
"I don't think so," Lawson said. "I mean, everybody felt the same way when Melo left. We still maintained and won games."
There's that voice of reason again. Quick, shut it off before the truth gets out.
The Nuggets won 57 games and lost to the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
The Warriors won 47 games and beat the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
Can the Nuggets win, say, 50 games, and be better prepared to win in the playoffs?
"I think so. You look at the roster, (and) everybody is a year better," Lawson said. "I know Javale (McGee) is working out hard in L.A. He's been waiting for this opportunity for a while."
The changes are many. That's where all the concern comes from.
Out: Andre Iguodala and Kosta Koufos.
"Iguodala, I don't know what happened through negotiations, but I heard it got ugly," Lawson told me. "That's probably more of a reason why he left here. It's not because he didn't want to be here. I think he wanted to be here."
In: forwards Darrell Arthur and J.J. Hickson ("He's a good friend of mine," Lawson said) and, reportedly, shooting guard Randy Foye, as part of the Iguodala sign-and-trade. Erick Green, the drafted guard from Virginia Tech, is in, too.
In: Brian Shaw, the rookie coach.
"Every time I see him, we talk for an hour, an hour and a half," Lawson said. "He's real chill, real laidback. Funny guy. Easy to get along with. I think he really relates to the players. It's easy to talk to him."
See, change can be good.
If the Nuggets are able to convince Kenneth Faried he can be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, the frontcourt should be a whole lot tougher, a whole lot edgier. Hickson can't guard his shadow on defense, but he can score and he plays hard, like his next contract depends on it.
"I think J.J. Hickson is a lot like Faried," Lawson, a North Carolina guy, said of Hickson, a North Carolina State guy. "He might step out and shoot it a little bit better. But he still has the motor and the energy to play like Faried."
The next Nuggets will be young, again. Only three players currently under contract are older then Lawson, who is 25 and entering his fifth season in the NBA.
Need more good news? The right player to lead the Nuggets into a new frontier is already on the roster. It's Lawson, who emerged in the second half of the 2012-13 season to show his true colors as a dynamic playmaker that can cripple a defense with his speed or his shot.
The hot-button topic with the Nuggets was their lack of an All-Star. That's kind of accurate; the Nuggets had an All-Star-caliber player, but Lawson only played like it for half the season.
This offseason Lawson is working on moves perfected by Tony Parker, the Spurs' point guard. One of Lawson's personal goals is to make the All-Star roster.
From what I saw in January and on, I would be more surprised if Lawson doesn't make the 2014 All-Star Game than if he does.
"I need to be more assertive early in games," he said. "Normally I let the game come to me. But if I come out more assertive from the jump, I think it will be easy for me to be an All-Star."
Here's one change we don't need: Lawson playing somewhere other than Denver.
As he blossomed as a playmaker last season, I know at least one team had its eye on Lawson. Step off, other team.
"I re-signed a four-year deal (in 2012). That would be, what, eight years for me here?" Lawson said. "If things keep going the way they are, I'll probably be a lifetime Nugget."
Does that sound like a player fuming and furious at change?
Change is different. Change will take some getting used to.
In the long term, change is good.
Twitter: @Klee_Gazette


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4c. Experiences Working with Diverse Candidates
4c.1. Describe proposed opportunities candidates (including candidates at off-campus sites and/or in distance learning preparation programs) will have to interact with candidates from diverse groups.
We anticipate we will have a diverse pool of candidates in our proposed Curriculum and Instruction and Teacher Leader Program. Our current efforts to recruit advanced degree candidates has resulted in the creation of satellite campuses across the state of Georgia, enrolling candidates from urban, suburban, and rural areas. In additional to our main campus location, current satellite campuses are located in the following counties/areas: DeKalb, Gwinnett, Lanier and Macon. Spring 2015 recruiting efforts include the school districts of Atlanta/Fulton, Cobb, Columbus, and S.W. Georgia This effort represents our commitment to recruiting and admitting candidates that reflect the diverse demographic characteristics of Georgia's K-12 student population. Fall 2014 advanced degree enrollment in education programs included 61candidates who are 87% female and 13% male and 69% white, 18% black, and 13% undeclared. Within the coursework for advanced degree programs, including the proposed Teacher Leader and Curriculum and Instruction programs, candidates frequently work in teams so that they have an opportunity to communicate and collaborate with peers from diverse groups.
4c.2. Describe institution/agency and unit efforts to recruit and retain diverse candidates.
The University and the Division of Education is committed to the recruitment and retention of a diverse student population as is called for in our Thomas University Diversity Statement.
In recent years, TU has made significant strides in addressing diversity. Attention is being directed to the climate of the campus, the composition of the constituency, and the nature of the global society in which graduates will live. Recruitment efforts include a reduced tuition rate (20%) for advanced degree candidates and increased efforts to provide scholarship support. We currently have a funding source that allows us to fully support all Hispanic candidates in our program.
One of the unique characteristics of TU is its nontraditional student population (average age of undergraduate – 29; graduate – 36). In addition to nontraditional aged students many of our candidates represent the first member in their family to attend college. In order to recruit and retain these nontraditional students' academic support is available through the following student services: Academic Resource Center (ARC) which provides group and individual tutoring on-campus and online via email and web-conferencing; primarily for math, writing, and research support for all TU students; and Student Support Services (SSS) which provides academic tutoring services and mentoring through the federally-funded TRiO grant for first-generation, low-income, and/or disabled students. Accommodations for students with disabilities are provided by the Office of Disabilities Service and information about receiving disabilities services is included on all university syllabi; this includes accommodations for access as well as for learning support. Thomas University provides free counseling services for students by referral in coordination with the Archbold Medical Center Student Assistance Program. Thomas University has one of the highest retention rates in the country and has been nationally recognized for the accomplishment of this goal.
Additionally, our partnership with KTA provides a dedicated staff to recruit and support candidates throughout their academic progression.


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The Oakland Press (http://www.theoaklandpress.com)
Monday, January 28, 2013
Let President Obama take away our assault rifles, and then he'll want our shotguns, pistols and bows and arrows. Then we'll be like all the other countries. When we don't have our weapons, other companies will start dictating to us. It happens all the time.Ā
-- Commerce Township
My sincere wish for 2013 for Oakland Press readers is that you can actually learn how to read before calling into Sound off to comment about other people. A Novi caller, for example, called in recently and said that a Bloomfield Hills caller was complaining that union workers were protesting the right-to-work bill in Lansing. This caller then tells us that he works the afternoon shift, as so many other protesters do. I have no clue what working the afternoon shift has to do with anything. The Bloomfield Hills caller correctly stated how hypocritical it is that union drones are protesting in the first place. Freedom of choice is the mantra of these drones. Freedom to kill unborn babies, freedom to legally do drugs, freedom to legalize people who have come to the United States illegally. These are the causes that union dues support. You are protesting the freedom of a worker to be in a union or not be in an union. By definition, you are simply a hypocrite. Instead of taking the morning to protest in Lansing, you should have taken that time to learn how to read.
-- Bloomfield Hills
I'm glad Gov. Rick Snyder wants to fix the roads and bridges. I'm glad to hear he's addressing something that's concrete.
-- Oak Park
President Obama thinks he knows exactly what all gun owners need. However, our Second Amendment is not a list of needs but instead a list of rights. These are rights that are guaranteed under our Constitution. These are rights not to be infringed, not even by some far left wing President who thinks he is king. Let the impeachment process begin.
-- Highland


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B&C Labs Clear Last Range focuses on primers and powders – I've tried a few of their products in the past with varied results – but generally it's good. Their High Coverage powder is one of my favourites.
The Clear Last Base Make Primer 'Poreless Concealer' SPF25 – I think this is more for spot application over areas of concern rather than an all over primer.
This product has the bonus of SPF25 too!
Clear Last now has some other base products like a moist and mat finish primer as well as a mousse one.
The tube – there's nothing special about the packaging but it doesn't seem to matter for a base product?
The cream is very thick, very white and takes some work to blend into the skin.
I mean this is so heavy I felt unsure of applying it to too many areas, and every day – I wonder how much this would clog up your pores. On the plus side though it does feel like a thick cream, rather than pure silicone:
This is a good pore concealer.
I've tried quite a few and this one does do a good job of masking pores en masse. But I just really dislike how heavy it feels. Also the fact it leaves a slight white residue – it will be covered once you apply foundation or powder but what if you don't want to?
Mr C kindly exposed some pores for me 🙂 I haven't suddenly decided to grow a beard.


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In the beginning, the eurozone crisis featured two core problems: large imbalances of trade and competitiveness, and a daunting debt mountain. Two years on, the challenge has shifted: there have been striking advances in competitiveness but the debt is as formidable as ever.
This metamorphosis suggests two lessons. First, the morality tale version of the crisis, which blames profligate Mediterraneans, has ceased to be relevant. Second, it is time to modify the argument that the countries of the periphery are doomed because they lack flexible national currencies. Their really crippling disadvantage is that they lack flexible national central banks.
Consider Spain's predicament. For 10 years after the launch of the euro, its workers bid up wages: labour costs jumped 55 per cent compared with a rise of 22 per cent in Germany. Outsized wage gains were not offset by gains in productivity, which lagged behind Germany's by a whisker. The upshot was that uncompetitive Spain ran a vast current account deficit, peaking in 2007 and 2008 at about 10 per cent of gross domestic product – a gap that dwarfed the infamous external deficit run by the US.
When the crisis began in 2010, the question was whether Spain could correct that deficit, given an inflexible exchange rate. Of course, flexibility would have helped. But in 2011 and early 2012, Spain's wages fell relative to Germany's and its productivity gains were larger; the supposedly indulgent Spanish private sector has achieved a fall in unit labour costs versus a rise in Germany of 8.7 per cent. Thanks to renewed competitiveness, Spain's exports rose 7.6 per cent last year and will rise another 2.1 per cent this year, despite recession in Spain's export markets. Add in the cyclical effect of falling imports and the country's external deficit has fallen remarkably, from 10 per cent of GDP to this year's forecast 2.4 per cent.
Now consider what has happened to Spain's debt challenge. As they bid up wages too much, Spaniards also borrowed excessively: between 2000 and 2010, debt held by Spain's non-financial companies and households doubled to a whopping 214 per cent of GDP. When the credit bubble burst, tax revenue fell and lenders required bailouts, pushing government debt up. Together, public and private debt posed a question analogous to the one raised by the current account: could Spain adjust?
Here, unfortunately, the answer is less positive. Since 2010, private debt to GDP has come down only slightly, to 204 per cent. Gross government debt has meanwhile exploded, from 61 per cent of GDP in 2010 to 90 per cent in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund. Putting a brave face on things, the IMF projected last year that Spain's government debt to GDP ratio would be 76 per cent in 2016. When it redid its projection recently, its 2016 forecast had leapt to 97 per cent.
Why is Spain failing to cut debt? It is not for lack of grit. The big reversal has taken place in the public sector, yet the savings effort there has been respectable: the IMF estimates that Spain's cyclically adjusted budget deficit has come down from 9.7 per cent in 2009 to 4.6 per cent this year. The private sector is saving 10.7 per cent of disposable income, less than thrifty Germans but considerably more than Britons or Americans. Spain is discovering that belt-tightening can be futile in the absence of aggressive action from the central bank.
Consider the contrast with the US and Britain, countries that also experienced credit bubbles. There, national central banks embarked on quantitative easing, pushing down interest rates even as they pushed up growth and inflation. This transformed the arithmetic of debt reduction. With nominal interest rates below nominal growth rates, the debt stock grows more slowly than output, driving down the ratio of debt to GDP. Of course, fresh borrowing can still pull the ratio upwards. But quantitative easing creates a kind of moving carpet, allowing the passenger to walk backwards and yet advance.
Spain is also on a moving carpet, but it is travelling the wrong way, fast. Nominal growth is negative and the government's 10-year borrowing rate in October was 5.7 per cent, with private rates higher. This differential is ruinous. Even if Spain ceased borrowing, debt would grow faster than output, exacerbating doubts about Spain's solvency and pushing interest rates further up.
To be fair to the European Central Bank, it has tried to be helpful. Spain urgently needs to swallow its pride and accept external monitoring of its economy, freeing the ECB to lower borrowing costs by purchasing short-term Spanish bonds. But even if the ECB activates its promised outright monetary transactions, Spain's interest rates will still be above the growth rate. The stated goal of these transactions is to eliminate the penalty Spain pays because of fears of exit from the euro. It is not full-blown quantitative easing on the US or British model.
Perhaps the ECB will be more aggressive than it has indicated. Or perhaps a strong US recovery will pull the world out of recession, allowing Spain to escape its debt via export-led growth. But the positive surprise would have to be huge to change Spain's dynamics, which suggests the country is likely to need debt restructuring in the end. If that is right, Europe should act urgently. One in four Spanish workers are jobless. A bolder set of leaders would tackle Spain's debt now.
The writer is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an FT contributing editor.
Copyright the Financial Times 2012.


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Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
From the Wires
Primero Announces Fourth Quarter Conference Call Rescheduled to 10:00 AM E.S.T. on February 21, 2013
By: Marketwired .
Feb. 6, 2013 10:55 AM
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 02/06/13 -- Primero Mining Corp. ("Primero" or the "Company") (TSX:P)(NYSE:PPP) is scheduled to release fourth quarter and year-end 2012 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, February 21, 2013 and announced today that in order to avoid conflicts with conference calls arranged by other companies it has rescheduled the time of its Conference Call to 10:00 AM E.S.T. on Thursday, February 21, 2013.
Participants may join the call by dialing North America toll free 1-855-410-0553 or 1-646-583-7389 for calls outside Canada and the U.S. and entering the participant passcode 685097#.
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at www.primeromining.com under the News and Events section or by clicking here: http://event.onlineseminarsolutions.com/r.htm?e=579693&s=1&k=308ED2AF1067128B6E2CFD481FC39329.
A recorded playback of the call will be available until, Monday, May 20, 2013 by dialing North America toll free 1-855-410-0556 or 646-583-7395 for calls outside Canada and the U.S. and entering the call back passcode 336555#.
About Primero
Primero Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based precious metals producer and owns 100% of the San Dimas gold-silver mine in Mexico. Primero is focused on delivering superior, sustainable value for all stakeholders with low-risk exposure to gold. The Company has intentions to become an intermediate gold producer by building a portfolio of high quality, low cost precious metals assets in the Americas.
Primero's website is www.primeromining.com.
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Taste of Spain with Chef Emilio Feb. 8 [1]
Published February 6, 2013
Chef Emilio Gervilla, owner of Emilio's Tapas in Hillside, will present a short cooking demonstration while discussing Spanish food, wine, and culture at 7 pm tonight at the Main Library. Enjoy a small taste of an authentic Spanish dish and a cash bar of Spanish wines. This after-hours event is free and open to the public.
The Main Library will reopen at 6:40 pm in advance of this special event. Parking will be available in the underground parking garage.
Born in Granada, Spain, Emilio Gervilla worked at his grandfather's bakery and tapas bar. In 1988 Emilio opened his own restaurant, Emilio's Tapas, in Hillside, Illinois. Both a culinary and cultural experience, the restaurant serving authentic European Spanish tapas was an instant success. It was named one of Chicago's Ten Best New Restaurants by the prestigious Chicago Magazine; a host of awards followed. He later opened Emilio's Tapas Sol y Nieve near Navy Pier in Chicago. Emilio proved that dreams do come true, and if you can't go home again you can bring home along with you.
Our events and classes are photographed or videotaped for promotional purposes. Please let us know if you prefer not to be photographed or videotaped. Your name will not be used without your written consent.
More library events, by location and topic, in our events calendar [2].


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Out on a limb and over the…In a shocking break with GOP tax script, Oklahoma rep Tom Cole said in an interview yesterday that he is encouraging fellow Republicans to accept a key part of Obama's plan.
Obama is proposing that certain Bush-era tax breaks remain in place for Americans with incomes of $250,000 or less—but that rates rise on higher incomes. Cole is saying the GOP should go for it.
It's yet another crack in the wall of the Republicans' pre-election orthodoxy opposing any and all tax hikes. (Did you know that for decades now, uber-lobbyist Grover Norquist has made incoming GOP members of Congress sign an anti-tax pledge?
But is Cole's move for real? Or is this simply another theatrical twist in the Fiscal Cliff drama that won't end? Stay tuned…unfortunately. (Huffpo, WSJ)
And speaking of a jackpot…In case you've been thinking, Powerball, wtf—$500 million?—it seems that just like super storms, we can expect more super-size prizes. Why? Because the 33 states that run Powerball just doubled the cost of each ticket, from one buck to two. Hello, math. (Marketplace)
In global news…Kate Middleton changed her hairstyle. Crowds went wild. Because that's about all that Europe has to look forward to these days. (USAToday)
Join the #GiftChat


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Nashville sucks, let's admit it. From the country music wanna-be's and the KKK inspired politicians all the way to the fucking restaurants and bars, I cringe when I wake up each morning.
I've had a condo here for about 5 years now, but I think of it more like a jail sentence; in the sense that living here has made me appreciate the outside world and the fact that turning on the radio in this God-forsaken hell hole is like getting raped in the ear.
Anyway, this blog is for everyone like me, anyone who's been to Nashville and seen the shit-storm they call a city and for the people who have been dragged here for one reason or another (assuming you're not stupid enough to want to move here).
I've needed to vent and I can't believe I've stooped to blogging, no offense, I just didn't think I ever would but the boredom has driven me to it. If you have a Nashville horror story, please e-mail it to me at email@example.com. And to those of you who want to defend the city, you can e-mail me your argument as well and I'll post (but first you'll need a computer and some literary skills, I'm not gonna help you out there).


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The quote is from MetaTalk via Throwing Things:
My favorite thought-piece about Ferris Bueller is the "Fight Club" theory, in which Ferris Bueller, the person, is just a figment of Cameron's imagination, like Tyler Durden, and Sloane is the girl Cameron secretly loves.Ha ha. Brilliant. (I've never seen a Metafilter comment with that many "favorite" votes — 381, including mine.)
One day while he's lying sick in bed, Cameron lets "Ferris" steal his father's car and take the day off, and as Cameron wanders around the city, all of his interactions with Ferris and Sloane, and all the impossible hijinks, are all just played out in his head. This is part of the reason why the "three" characters can see so much of Chicago in less than one day -- Cameron is alone, just imagining it all.
It isn't until he destroys the front of the car in a fugue state does he finally get a grip and decide to confront his father, after which he imagines a final, impossible escape for Ferris and a storybook happy ending for Sloane ("He's gonna marry me!"), the girl that Cameron knows he can never have.
I wonder what other movies are susceptible to the "Fight Club" theory.
AND: For law fans, here's the AskMetafilter thread aimed at listing all the crimes Ferris Bueller and his friends commit during "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."


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Pursuit of social justice should be a long-term commitment made with continuous efforts to achieve fairness in all aspects of society. However, in light of the government's latest about-face regarding the year-end pension bonuses for government retirees it appears the talk of reform touted by President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) administration is no more than a mere delaying tactic aimed at dampening public outrage.
On Tuesday last week, amid concern for the nation's fiscal strain and a public outcry over the extra allowances given to retired public-sector employees — a decade-long practice that lacks any legal basis — Premier Sean Chen announced a proposal to slash government-sector pensioners' year-end bonuses to cover only the disadvantaged, winning him rare praise from critics and the opposition for being responsive to public grievance.
However, the Ma government's attempt to ensure fairness and social justice turned out to be short-lived. Its change of heart came a week later with the premier on Tuesday making a "clarification," saying the revised policy on pension distribution is applicable for this year only and that it will be reviewed on an annual basis.
It's dumbfounding to note how brazenly the Ma administration is playing the public for fools.
Many will remember that when Chen announced the decision last week to limit the recipients of year-end bonuses for government-sector pensioners to the socially disadvantaged and the families of those who are injured or killed in the line of duty, he cited the main reason behind the revised measure as wanting to avoid greater social divisions. The government's latest U-turn immediately begs the question: How can the government be sure that a distribution of year-end bonuses to retired public-sector employees next year would not create similar problems?
Meanwhile, according to Chen, if the nation's fiscal situation improves next year, the government may reinstate the pension bonus for all public-sector retirees. If that is the case, it would mean the retirement bonus for retired officials next year would be distributed around the end of 2013 or during January 2014 — conveniently in time for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to maneuver the issue to its electoral gain come 2014's seven-in-one elections.
This pattern is all too familiar and somewhat disturbing to say the least.
Some may recall how the Ma government, saying it empathized with the public, dropped the planned increase in fuel prices prior to the five special municipality elections in November 2010 and again before the presidential election this January. The government then, after elections were over, turned around and said the market would determine prices.
As recently as Tuesday Ma, who doubles as KMT chairman, lectured KMT officials on the importance of reform and reiterated the party's unwavering stance in pursuing it. Ma reaffirmed KMT Legislator Alex Tsai's (蔡正元) calls for slashing nine allowances granted to lawmakers, that are also not stipulated in law, and urged the KMT caucus to review the subsidies and give a positive response to the public's expectation of reforming the subsidy.
A government is supposed to work its hardest to gain as much public confidence as it possibly can. However, it appears the Ma government is heading in the opposite direction, damaging its own credibility with its double standards and possessing a track record of fooling the public time and again.


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NEW YORK (AP) -- Shaun Livingston scored 20 points, Mirza Teletovic came off the bench to add 19 and the Brooklyn Nets rebounded from an embarrassing Christmas Day performance by ending their four-game losing streak with a 104-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Paul Pierce added 13 points for the Nets, who lost by 17 points in their two previous games.
Rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee, and Khris Middleton added 15 points and eight boards.
The Bucks went on a 24-10 run to get within 97-88 with 2:24 remaining after Antetokounmpo scored five straight points.
But after Milwaukee called a timeout, Teletovic hit his third 3-pointer of the quarter to put the Nets ahead 100-88 with 2:03 left and Brooklyn closed it out from the free throw line.
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- Snooker news
O'Sullivan confirms return to snooker
Ronnie O'Sullivan has confirmed he will return to snooker and defend his world title.
O'Sullivan won his fourth world title last May with an 18-11 victory over Ali Carter
Following a dismal loss to Simon Bedford in Gloucester last year, O'Sullivan announced in November that he would take a break from the game to focus on his family life and his battle with depression.
So the 37-year-old traded the grind of honing his queue action for volunteering at a farm three days a week but he kept his eye in by practising at his mother's house "every couple of weeks."
O'Sullivan was recently seen in the crowd at The Masters, which fuelled suggestions that he would return to the sport.
He had until Thursday to confirm his participation in the World Championship and he announced at a press conference on Tuesday that he would defend his title.
"I certainly feel refreshed," he said. "I was never out of juice. I don't find snooker hard mentally or physically. It is your job and you get used to it.
"I knew I couldn't take too much time out. It was always in the back of my mind that I had to come back and come back with a clear head after sorting a few things out."
O'Sullivan is aware of the challenge ahead if he is to defend his world title.
He said: "I have probably played three or four exhibitions, so I have probably played 10 days.
"I am match rusty if you like, I have not played any matches or been in any tense situations. This is going to be tough. You can never replicate the conditions other than in a match."