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Blackwater guards killed 16 as U.S. touted progress
BAGHDAD — On Sept. 9, the day before Army Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker told Congress that things were getting better, Batoul Mohammed Ali Hussein came to Baghdad for the day.
A clerk in the Iraqi customs office in Diyala province, she was in the capital to drop off and pick up paperwork at the central office near busy al Khilani Square, not far from the fortified Green Zone, where top U.S. and Iraqi officials live and work. U.S. officials often pass through the square in heavily guarded convoys on their way to other parts of Baghdad.
As Hussein walked out of the customs building, an embassy convoy of sport-utility vehicles drove through the intersection. Blackwater security guards, charged with protecting the diplomats, yelled at construction workers at an unfinished building to move back. Instead, the workers threw rocks. The guards, witnesses said, responded with gunfire, spraying the intersection with bullets.
Hussein, who was on the opposite side of the street from the construction site, fell to the ground, shot in the leg. As she struggled to her feet and took a step, eyewitnesses said, a Blackwater security guard trained his weapon on her and shot her multiple times. She died on the spot, and the customs documents she'd held in her arms fluttered down the street.
Before the shooting stopped, four other people were killed in what would be the beginning of eight days of violence that Iraqi officials say bolster their argument that Blackwater should be banned from working in Iraq.
During the ensuing week, as Crocker and Petraeus told Congress that the surge of more U.S. troops to Iraq was beginning to work and President Bush gave a televised address in which he said "ordinary life was beginning to return" to Baghdad, Blackwater security guards shot at least 43 people on crowded Baghdad streets. At least 16 of those people died.
Two Blackwater guards died in one of the incidents, which was triggered when a roadside bomb struck a Blackwater vehicle.
Still, it was an astounding amount of violence attributed to Blackwater. In the same eight-day period, according to statistics compiled by McClatchy Newspapers, other acts of violence across the embattled capital claimed the lives of 32 people and left 87 injured, not including unidentified bodies found dumped on Baghdad's streets.
The best known of that week's incidents took place the following Sunday, Sept. 16, when Blackwater guards killed 11 and wounded 12 at the busy al Nisour traffic circle in central Baghdad.
Iraqi officials said the guards were unprovoked when they opened fire on a white car carrying three people, including a baby. All died. The security guards then fired at other nearby vehicles, including a minibus loaded with passengers, killing a mother of eight. An Iraqi soldier also died.
In Blackwater's only statement regarding the Sept. 16 incident, Anne Tyrell, the company's spokeswoman, denied that the dead were civilians. "The 'civilians' reportedly fired upon by Blackwater professionals were in fact armed enemies," she said in an e-mail, "and Blackwater personnel returned defensive fire."
A joint commission of five U.S. State Department officials, three U.S. military officials and eight Iraqis has been formed to investigate the incident, though almost two weeks later, the commission has yet to meet. A U.S. Embassy statement on Thursday, the first official written comment from the embassy since the al Nisour shooting, said that the group was "preparing" to meet.
Blackwater and the U.S. Embassy didn't respond to requests for information about the other incidents.
But interviews with eyewitnesses and survivors of each incident describe similar circumstances in which Blackwater guards took aggressive action against civilians who seemed to pose no threat.
"They killed her in cold blood," Hussein Jumaa Hassan, 30, a parking lot attendant, said of Hussein.
Hassan pointed to the bullet-pocked concrete column behind him. He'd hidden behind it.
"I was boiling with anger, and I wished that I had a weapon in my hands in those minutes," he said. "They wanted to kill us all."
Anyone who moved was shot until the convoy left the square, witnesses said. Also among the dead was Kadhim Gayes, a city hall guard.
It took two days for Hussein's family to retrieve her body from the morgue. Before they could, her sister signed a sheet acknowledging the contents of her purse, which had been collected by security guards at the Baghdad city hall — a Samsung cell phone, a change purse with six keys and 37,000 Iraqi dinars ($30), gold bracelets, a notebook, pens, and photos of her and her children.
Three days later, Blackwater guards were back in al Khilani Square, Iraqi government officials said. This time, there was no shooting, witnesses said. Instead, the Blackwater guards hurled frozen bottles of water into store windows and windshields, breaking the glass.
Ibrahim Rubaie, the deputy security director at a nearby Baghdad city government office building, said it's common for Blackwater guards to shoot as they drive through the square. He said Blackwater guards also shot and wounded people in the square on June 21, though there are no official reports of such an incident.
On Sept. 13 — the same day Bush gave his "ordinary life" speech — Blackwater guards were escorting State Department officials down Palestine Street near the Shiite enclave of Sadr City when a roadside bomb detonated, ripping through one of the Blackwater vehicles.
The blast killed two Blackwater guards. As other guards went to retrieve the dead, they fired wildly in several directions, witnesses said.
Mohammed Mazin was at home when he heard the bang, which shattered one of his windows.
Then he heard gunfire, and he and his son, Laith, went to the roof to see what was going on.
What they saw were security contractors shooting in different directions as a helicopter hovered overhead. Bullets flew through his home's windows, he said.
No civilians were killed that day, but five were wounded, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry.
The following Sunday, Blackwater guards opened fire as the State Department convoy they were escorting crossed in front of stopped traffic at the al Nisour traffic circle.
While U.S. officials have offered no explanation of what occurred that day, witnesses and Iraqi investigators agree that the guards' first target was a white car that either hadn't quite stopped or was trying to nudge its way to the front of traffic.
In the car were a man whose name is uncertain; Mahasin Muhsin, a mother and doctor; and Muhsin's young son. The guards first shot the man, who was driving. As Muhsin screamed, a Blackwater guard shot her. The car exploded, and Muhsin and the child burned, witnesses said.
Afrah Sattar, 27, was on a bus approaching the square when she saw the guards fire on the white car. She and her mother, Ghania Hussein, were headed to the Certificate of Identification Office in Baghdad to pick up proof of Sattar's Iraqi citizenship for an upcoming trip to a religious shrine in Iran.
When she saw the gunmen turn toward the bus, Sattar looked at her mother in fear. "They're going to shoot at us, Mama," she said. Her mother hugged her close. Moments later, a bullet pierced her mother's skull and another struck her shoulder, Sattar recalled.
As her mother's body went limp, blood dripped onto Sattar's head, still cradled in her mother's arms.
"Mother, mother," she called out. No answer. She hugged her mother's body and kissed her lips and began to pray, "We belong to God and we return to God." The bus emptied, and Sattar sat alone at the back, with her mother's bleeding body.
"I'm lost now, I'm lost," she said days later in her simple two-bedroom home. Ten people lived there; now there are nine.
"They are killers," she said of the Blackwater guards. "I swear to God, not one bullet was shot at them. Why did they shoot us? My mother didn't carry a weapon."
Downstairs, her father, Sattar Ghafil Slom al Kaabi, 67, sat beneath a smiling picture of his wife and recalled their 40-year love story and how they raised eight children together. On the way to the holy city of Najaf to bury her, he'd stopped his car, with her coffin strapped to the top. He got out and stood beside the coffin. He wanted to be with her a little longer.
"I loved her more than anything," he said, his voice wavering. "Now that she is dead, I love her more."
(Special correspondents Mohammed al Dulaimy, Hussein Kadhim and Laith Hammoudi contributed to this report.)


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More Than Half of Teens Who Gave Birth Weren't Using ContraceptionA third of them thought they couldn't get pregnant at the time, researchers report.
THURSDAY, Jan. 19, 2012 (HealthDay News) — Slightly more than half of U.S. teenaged girls who had a child between 2004 and 2008 did not use birth control, and a third didn't think they could get pregnant at the time, a new government study finds.
Although the number of teens who get pregnant in the United States has fallen in recent years, the U.S. teen birth rate is still the highest of any developed country, with more than 400,000 births in 2009, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"These are the girls who had risky sex and ended up getting pregnant and giving birth," said study co-author Lorrie Gavin, a health scientist with the CDC's Division of Reproductive Health. "This is the group that we should pay most attention to, because they're the ones who experienced unintended births."
According to the report, 50.1 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 who had an unintended pregnancy were not using any form of contraception when they got pregnant, and 31.4 percent thought they could not get pregnant at the time.
Commenting on the findings, Lawrence Finer, director of domestic research at the Guttmacher Institute in New York City, had this to say: "The fact that they found such a low level of contraceptive use says a number of things about what we need to do to try to improve adolescent reproductive health."
Finer said more teens should be using IUDs and implants because they take the decision-making out of the equation.
"In the past, these methods have been seen as ones for older women, but those methods should be considered first-line methods for adolescents and young adults," Finer suggested. "Historically, it's been condom and pill for young people, but we need to expand our thinking on that."
The girls who didn't think they could get pregnant have misconceptions about pregnancy, Finer added. "That clearly reflects on education and awareness," he said.
The reason some girls think that they can't get pregnant is probably a combination of factors, Finer explained.
"The risk of becoming pregnant from one act of sex is relatively small," he noted. "It may be the case that, for some teens, they had unprotected sex and didn't become pregnant so then they think they won't become pregnant based on their past experience," he said.
"This is a lack of recognition that if you don't get pregnant one time you may get pregnant at another time," Finer pointed out. In addition, some girls may think that either they or their partner is infertile.
Finer said more education about pregnancy and contraception is needed.
Another co-author of report pointed out other scenarios that might explain why these teens did not use contraception.
"Other reasons for not using contraception were their partner did not want to use it, or because they didn't mind getting pregnant," said Ayanna T. Harrison, who is also with the Division of Reproductive Health.
Among teens who got pregnant despite saying they used birth control, 24 percent said they used condoms and 21 percent said they used an IUD, implant or a birth control pill, said Harrison.
"When we looked at age, race and ethnicity, we didn't see a huge difference," Harrison said. However, among those who thought they couldn't get pregnant, 42 percent were Hispanic compared to almost 27 percent of white teens and 32 percent of black teens, she said.
Gavin added that most were not using the most effective methods of birth control, such as IUDs.
"They were using methods that require some kind of ongoing behavior, such as taking a pill every day or using a condom every time you have sex," she said. "We know that consistent use of the pill or a condom is a major problem."
Efforts are needed to dispel myths about becoming pregnant and to increase motivation to avoid pregnancy, Gavin said.
"We need to do a better job for sexually active teens," Gavin said, including providing better access to contraception, encouraging the use of more effective methods and increasing the motivation to use birth control consistently.
"Teen pregnancy is a public health concern because teen mothers are more likely to experience negative social outcomes, and infants of teen mothers have higher risks for preterm birth, low birth weight and related complications," the authors wrote.
The report was published in the Jan. 20 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

subset: commoncrawl


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Big update on Mangalator
I am happy to inform you that finally I updated Mangalator.
I hope that new responsive design will be more useful for lots of people that are using mobile devices to read Mangalator.
- You can hug your favourite Translators – something like following.
- You can subscribe Manga titles and view updates on "My favorite Manga"
- You can log in using both user name or email
- You have genres and lots of categories of Manga – by clicking in category name on Manga page you can see all Manga titles in this category
- Now you can add avatar, cover picture and write some info to your readers.
- Lists of translations on profile pages are far more convenient
- New disqus comment system on profile pages (soon I will move old comments to this section)
- More images on website 😛 – I love to color manga covers 😀
- More Otaku Mole 😛
- And lots of small other things
Still I'm testing and finding some bugs. There will be more features very soon


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No, today's post is not about a new sci-fi movie. Rather, it's about the distinction between two mainstays of public speaking: the podium and the lectern.
A podium (pl. podiums or podia) is the raised platform on which the speaker stands to deliver his or her speech. "Podium" is derived from the Greek word πόδι (pothi) which means "foot". The word "podiatrist" (foot doctor) comes from the same source.
A lectern is a raised, slanted stand on which a speaker can place his or her notes. "Lectern" is derived from the Latin word lectus, the past participle of the verb legere, which means "to read". The word "lecture" comes from the same source.
There are tabletop lecterns and there are standalone lecterns. They come in all sizes.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Colquhoun (nathancolquhoun / Flickr)
Photo courtesy of Andrew Feinberg (Andrew Feinberg / Flickr)
Photo courtesy of Jeff Hitchcock (Arbron / Flickr)
It is important to make the distinction between a lectern and a podium. And yet, many people say "podium" when they are actually referring to a lectern. (Conversely, I have never heard anyone say "lectern" when referring to a podium.)
Some might say that I am just quibbling over semantics. But suppose you're giving a speech. You phone the event organizer and ask if there will be a "podium" when you actually mean a lectern. If the organizer is not on the same (incorrect) wavelength and says "No", you might end up needlessly scrambling to find your own lectern. If the organizer says "Yes", you might arrive to find a real podium but no lectern.
To summarize: You stand at or behind the lectern; you stand on the podium.


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An insulin pump is a small computerized device that delivers
insulin into the body. Using an insulin pump is different from injecting insulin throughout the day using insulin syringes and needles.
Insulin pumps can be programmed to deliver very precise amounts of insulin in a
continuous (basal) dose and in carefully planned extra (bolus) doses delivered at
specific times throughout the day, usually when eating.
Some pumps connect to the body through a thin tube and needle inserted under the skin,
usually in the abdomen. Some pumps attach directly to the body and do not need tubing. Some pump systems use a remote control. Most pumps can hold between 200 and 300 units of insulin, depending on the model used. Some pumps also work as a blood glucose meter or communicate with your meter to adjust your bolus dose of insulin.
pumps allow flexibility in how a person times his or her meals and snacks. The
pumps may help some people to have fewer low blood sugar events (hypoglycemic
episodes) than people who inject insulin. The insulin pump is designed to mimic
the normal function of the pancreas.
Last Revised:
September 20, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Jennifer Hone, MD - Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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Established in 2008, the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network is the first global alliance which aims to unify television broadcasters worldwide to retain and grow our Indigenous languages and cultures. Our commitment is to preserve and promote the Indigenous languages and cultures through media networking, news and program sharing, and television broadcasting. In the spirit of sharing, WITBN's mission is to develop collaborative relationships among Indigenous television broadcasters to create various media opportunities for our members and help nurture Indigenous media worldwide.
E-mail: email@example.com • Telephone: +47 78 46 92 16
A WITBN biennial conference, WITBC offers opportunities for sharing experiences and visions in broadcast media. WITBC encourages communication and induces interaction among Indigenous media worldwide.
WITBC 2014 will be held from June 19 to 23 in Winnipeg, Canada. For more information about the conference and registration, visit: WITBC2014.com
WITBC 2014 aura lieu du 19 au 23 Juin à Winnipeg, au Canada. Pour plus d'informations sur la conférence et l'inscription, visitez le site: WITBC2014.com
Launched in 2012, the WITBN Indigenous Journalism Awards, WIJA, honors excellence in television journalism that demonstrates superior journalistic skills in a form and manner best representing Indigenous storytelling. WIJA especially acknowledges the significance of journalism that best delivers the Indigenous perspective and contributes to leverage the public understanding of the Indigenous reality nationally and internationally.Submissions are now closed.
WITBN NEWS CENTER is the first global Indigenous news and program sharing platform provided by Indigenous media, conceived as follows:
In the spirit of sharing, WITBN develops collaborative relationships among Indigenous television broadcasters in order to create opportunities for:


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LONDON — Four years ago, 28-year-old multiple sclerosis patient Karen Ayres was wheelchair-bound and paralyzed. "I was trapped in a body that wouldn't do anything," she says. Now, following an experimental drug treatment, she has regained mobility and is studying for a doctoral degree.
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Ayres was one of 27 patients with aggressive MS who was treated in an open trial with a course of cancer-drug mitoxantrone and copaxone, which is used to treat relapsing MS.
Like Ayres, many of the other patients in the study experienced results so remarkable that some MS experts, while expressing caution, are now taking a second look at the preliminary experiment.
A three-year controlled study is being launched at 10 centers across the United Kingdom to further investigate the potential of the drug combination. The results of the initial trial, led by Dr. Mike Boggild at the Walton Centre in Liverpool, will be published next month in the Journal of Neurology.
Mitoxantrone is an anti-cancer drug so powerful that it is potentially toxic and can only be used safely in the short term. So, Boggild and his colleagues combined its use with copaxone — a notoriously slow-acting drug.
"We decided to overlap the treatments because we wanted to give some time to copaxone to build up its effect," says Boggild.
What happened next was dramatic. "Patients who were just the worst of the worst did remarkably well," Boggild said.
"We think we've tapped into an unexpected synergy between the two drugs that gives you more than the sum of the parts," he says. With a few exceptions, Boggild says most of the patients treated with the drug combination are now essentially "trouble-free."
Though one patient developed acute leukemia — a known side effect to mitoxantrone treatment — Boggild says the majority of patients haven't had disease relapses.
Patients were first given a limited course of mitoxantrone, before being started on copaxone, usually a few months later. In Ayres' case, recovery was rapid. "From barely being able to wave my hand to walking out of the rehabilitation center took a few weeks," she says.
While the study has clearly generated some impressive results, many experts say more time is needed.
"It's a small study with no control group," says Dr. Robyn Wolintz, co-director of the MS Center at Maimonedes Medical Center in New York. "They also gave different people different doses of mitoxantrone, and that's not standard," says Wolintz, explaining that changing the dosages and the frequency of the treatment makes it difficult to reproduce these results to verify the drugs' efficacy.
"We're talking about an early, small study," says David Harrison, of the MS Society in the United Kingdom. Though Harrison characterized the results as "encouraging," he believes it is necessary to conduct a large-scale comparative investigation to establish how the mitoxantrone-copaxone combination ranks against other known and potential drug cocktails.
Still, some experts believe Boggild and his colleagues have stumbled upon a valid hypothesis. "Single drugs are not what gets the job done," says Dr. John Richert, vice-president of research department in the United States' National MS Society. "It really is likely that more and more combination therapies will be used."
For patients with particularly aggressive MS, the proposed treatment may provide some hope. "The people who could benefit from this have nothing else at their disposal," says Wolintz.
And unfortunately, medicine is far from an exact science. "Many physicians make their decisions based on incomplete data," says Richert. "Even though there's not sufficient data to make any kind of formal recommendation, there is enough data to say that it is reasonable to make this option available to physicians and their patients when they've weighed all the pros and cons of the situation."
For patients like Ayres, who still takes daily injections of copaxone, life without the treatment is unimaginable. "When I was lying in my hospital bed, not even able to twitch my toes, I was jealous of anyone who could walk," she told The Associated Press.
Despite the potential side effects, which include leukemia and cardiac problems, Ayres says the treatment was worth the risk. "I didn't have a lot of options," she says, "and to be completely normal now was worth everything that I went through."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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West Quadrant Plan Team Collects Feedback; Stakeholder Advisory Committee to Review Revised Drafts
Since the seven initial discussion drafts were presented at the January and February Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) meetings, staff has collected public feedback at the March 10 Open House at City Hall, through the online Virtual Open House, and by attending a dozen community and neighborhood association meetings. A report of feedback highlights by district can be found here.
The comments are being used to revise the district drafts and to identify areas of disagreement that need further SAC discussion. The Old Town/Chinatown, Goose Hollow and South Downtown/University revised drafts will be discussed at the April 21 SAC Meeting (see the meeting materials).
The Pearl District, Downtown, West End and South Waterfront revised drafts will be discussed at the May 19 SAC Meeting. A review of the complete Draft West Quadrant Plan will be on the agenda for the June 16 SAC Meeting, and the final review and approval process by the SAC is scheduled for July 21. Materials for each of these meetings will be posted when they are available.
All SAC meetings are open to the public, and public feedback on any of the draft district plans is still welcome. Questions or comments can be emailed to firstname.lastname@example.com. For more information, contact Kathryn Hartinger at (503) 823-9714 or by email at email@example.com.


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We have purchased a lot of these.
More posts
- From Toncavitcg
- 2011 Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon - Roots Run Deep Winery - Not a real Napa Cab. Missing on almost everything.
- Good cab we had in Woodstock
- Not as robust as the Root 1, but I find myself drinking this easily... And perhaps too quickly. Good.
- Rich fruits. European roots that survived disease in Chile.


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Wednesday news outlets in Connecticut and beyond were buzzing over unfortunate comments made by East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo on Tuesday. Asked what he planned to do to reach out to the Latino community after the FBI arrest of four East Haven police officers for racial profiling, he replied that he might have tacos for dinner.
The mayor subsequently acknowledged that the remark was derogatory and noted that it was made after a long day of fielding questions from local and national media. No one should be judged solely on one thoughtless comment made under stress, but it would be much easier to give the harried mayor a pass on this one had he presented — at any time since taking office three months ago — a thoughtful and credible plan for reforming his troubled police department and for developing positive relationships with his town's growing Latino community.
As a Catholic Christian, I am mindful of Christ's admonition that his followers will be judged, in part, by whether they welcome him in the person of the "stranger."
My daily work involves interaction with people from many continents, countries and cultures, so I appreciate the challenge of offering an effective welcome. I am frequently brought up short by the recognition that I am reacting out of a prejudice of which I was previously unaware, or by the realization that there are worlds of human experience of which I am ignorant. Painful as those moments may be, they are sources of insight and help me grow in my ability to be truly welcoming.
Far more troubling than the taco allusion, therefore, is the mayor's failure to concede the need for change. In light of the pending lawsuit against his town, I don't expect the mayor to acknowledge the full extent of the troubling behavior of his police department; but he could, and should, admit that there is a crying need for his administration to develop more positive relations with the Latino community.
East Haven officials have a long way to go to win Latino's confidence. They might try some of the following approaches for starters:
Know your constituents. The Latino population of greater New Haven, East Haven included, is very diverse, with representatives from 18 countries of Central and South America and the Caribbean, as well as Puerto Rico. Latinos are diverse in their immigration status (from the undocumented to the third-generation American), in their levels of education, professions, families — just the way every other hyphenated-American group is. And they don't all eat tacos.
Develop linguistic and cultural competence. As a high school French student, I had to memorize the saying: Pour bien connaître un homme, il faut savoir sa langue: To understand someone, you must know his language. Statistics show that a greater percentage of Latino immigrants are acquiring English fluency than did persons in earlier immigrant groups. Nonetheless, many immigrants are daunted by the difficulty of English pronunciation and expansive vocabulary. Many government agencies on all levels recognize the need to facilitate two-way communication with immigrant groups by hiring bilingual staff, using phone-based translation services and developing materials in the languages spoken by the people they exist to serve.
Work with community leadership. Members of the Latino community in and around East Haven have shown courage and initiative in speaking out against discriminatory policing. East Haven is also home to numerous businesses whose Latino owners are respected within and beyond the Latino community for their enterprise and achievements. These natural leaders are an invaluable resource for a town government trying to build bridges with a relatively new and growing population.
The findings of discriminatory policing released by theU.S. Department of JusticeCivil Rights Division as well as the arrest of four East Haven police officers clearly delineate the need for reform. All East Haveners have a right to a police department that is competent and professional. Town leadership can pursue a counterproductive policy of denial and foot-dragging, or it can seize this opportunity for transformative change.
Let's hope East Haven's leaders make the right choice from the menu.
Sister Mary Ellen Burns is a lawyer and director of Apostle Immigrant Services, a nonprofit agency based in New Haven that provides a range of educational programs and legal immigration services.


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IBM's Center for the Business of Government has published a new report: "A Manager's Guide to Assessing the Impact of Government Social Media Interactions".
This new report addresses the key question of how government should measure the impact of its social media use.
Social media data – as part of the big data landscape – has important signaling function for government organizations. Public managers can quickly assess what citizens think about draft policies, understand the impact they will have on citizens or actively pull citizens ideas into the government innovation process. However, big data collection and analysis are for many government organizations still a barrier and it is important to understand how to make sense of the massive amount of data that is produced on social media every day.
This report guides public managers step-by-step through the process of slicing and dicing big data into small data sets that provide important mission-relevant insights to public managers.
First, I offer a survey of the social media measurement landscape showing what free tools are used and the type of insights they can quickly provide through constant monitoring and for reporting purposes. Then I review the White House's digital services measurement framework which is part of the overall Digital Government Strategy. Next, I discuss the design steps for a social media strategy which will be basis for all social media efforts and should include the mission and goals which can then be operationalized and measured. Finally, I provide insights how the social media metrics can be aligned with the social media strategic goals and how these numbers and other qualitative insights can be reported to make a business case for the impact of social media interactions in government.
I interviewed social media managers in the federal government, observed their online discussions about social media metrics, and reviewed GSA's best practices recommendations and practitioner videos to understand what the current measurement practices are. Based on these insights, I put together a comprehensive report that guides managers through the process of setting up a mission-driven social media strategy and policy as the basis for all future measurement activities, and provided insights on how they can build a business with insights derived from both quantitative and qualitative social media data.
Media coverage:
- Gadi Ben-Yehuda: Social Media Metrics for Government: A New Manager's Handbook, IBM Center for the Business of Government, 6/9/2014.
- Gadi Ben-Yehuda: Social Media Metrics for Government: A New Manager's Handbook, in: Government Executive, 6/10/2014.
- Wasko, S.: Is your agency getting the most of its social media efforts?, Federal News Radio, 6/19/2014.
- Federal News Radio Show, interview on the Federal News Drive about my report.
- Brookings' TechTalk blog: Assessing the Impact of Government Social Media Interactions, 6/23/2014.


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We developed a teeth whitening treatment without hydrogen peroxide but even more efficient, based on a unique FCC (Filmocrystallized Calcium)-technology.
Small white bio-active crystals are used in combination with a strong film forming polymeric agent. Thanks to this innovative technology, the white bio-active crystals will be physically fixed on the tooth surface. The physical fixation of the white crystals leads to an optical whitening effect. This FCC-technology is reinforced by an innovative teeth whitening novelty: P.A.P. which is a strong stain-removing molecule that breaks down discolourations on the teeth in little pieces without affecting the teeth structure.
Clinical studies proved that iWhite Instant is 100% dental safe and gives you an immediate whitening effect after the first application. Some patients had up to 8 shades improvement after one treatment. However, every person is different and results can vary per person.


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Spectre557 wrote:Trying to imagine what happens when you die is like trying to imagine a new primary colour... It's impossible using human perception and reasoning. And if you somehow did, your head would probably asplode.
Robert Heinlein wrote:There is no conclusive evidence of life after death. But there is no evidence of any sort against it. Soon enough you will know. So why fret about it?
h1ack wrote:Most people THINK that Christianity means that you go to heaven if you are a good person... this is not what the bible says though.
We all sin, and the bible says that the punishment for sin is death. Eternal death and separation from god. Then Jesus came and lived a PERFECT life, and he was killed in our place.
The bible says that if we believe that Jesus is the son of God, and accept his gift of forgiveness, than our sins will be forgiven and we will not have to be separated from god for eternity. And then when we die we will get to party with God in heaven.
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From: John and Joe of Eekum Bookum TInterests: Making and collecting beautiful tiki mugs and then sharing fun times with our Tiki friendsTiki Central Profile
Eekum Bookum Tiki Mugs is the commercial endeavor of John Mulder142's artwork. Together with Joe Staskerz of Elroy Artspace - a gallery of Modernist Art, John brings his passion for art, polynesian pop and tiki mugs to you with Eekum Bookum.
My love of Polynesian exotica began nearly fifteen years ago when I bought my first Tiki mug at a thrift store on the East Coast. As my tiki mug collection has grown, so has my fascination with the art and culture of the South Pacific and I have included its influence in my art for many years.
We offer high quality hand produced Tiki Mugs. Our mugs are designed, sculpted and produced by me John Mulder142 in stoneware as limited editions. Eekum-Bookum mugs are perfect for enjoying your favorite tropical drink from or as art objects suitable for any tasteful home across the globe. I hope you love them as much as we do.
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Physical therapy students must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodations, each of these essential functions in order to fully participate in our program and successfully complete the requirements for the DPT.
Reference: Ingram, D. (1997). Opinions of Physical Therapy Education Program Directors on Essential Functions, Physical Therapy, 77(1), 37-45.


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01 October 2008
Benito vs. the Cigar: Arturo Fuente Royal Salute Natural
So how did I get interested in this subject? Well, I tried my first cigar at the age of six during spelling class.
Now, before anyone accuses my parents or the school of negligence, there were extenuating circumstances. For Halloween that year we were allowed to dress up for school, and I chose to be Groucho Marx. I had the fake glasses, big nose, and mustache from TG&Y, and on the way out the door Dad thought a cigar would round out the look. He fished an old, forgotten stogie out of his dresser drawer and handed it to me. It was wrapped in plastic, and I put it in my mouth and tried the duck walk with great success.
At school no one seemed to mind the presence of the cigar, and the plastic held up for the first hour or two. However, I was a bit of a chewer as a kid, and tended to grind my pencils into splinters. So during a rigorous spelling test of hard words like February and Wednesday, I chewed through the plastic and got a little nicotine buzz. Perhaps my experience chewing the leather on my baseball glove prevented me from getting sick off the tobacco.
While it was an enjoyable memory from childhood, I honestly waited until my early 20s before I touched any form of tobacco again, and I've probably only smoked a dozen cigars in my adult life. Unlike the quick, furtive fix of a cigarette, a cigar is something to be savored and experienced over an hour or two, preferably with friends. It makes it less of a bad habit and more of an occasional indulgence.
Tonight I enjoyed the Arturo Fuente Royal Salute Natural. 7⅝" long, with a ring gauge of 54 (diameter measured in sixty-fourths of an inch, or ⅞"). This is a big, heavy cigar, but appearances can be deceiving. It's mild to begin with but the thicker, longer cigar makes for a smoother flavor. It's shipped in a cedar sheath with a black ribbon around the foot. The A. Fuente was rich with oak, leather, chocolate, and nice touches of sweet and bitter that went well with the Bourbon.
With wine, you've got two horizontal belts around the earth: one in the north that passes through California and most of Continental Europe, and one in the south that passes through part of Chile, Argentina, the tip of South Africa, and Southern Australia and New Zealand. Those two "purple belts" are where climate, sun, and seasons are most conducive to producing good wine.
Making a wide equator between those two is a "brown belt" that provides the world with the highest quality chocolate, coffee, and tobacco. For cigars, we're talking the Caribbean, the northern regions of South America, Cameroon, Indonesia, etc. Most cigars are made from tobacco leaves of different countries for different purposes. In this case, the binder and filler are both from the Dominican Republic, while the wrapper is sun-grown Ecuadorian.
In the photo the cigar is resting on my copy of Robert Poole's detailed history of the National Geographic Society, Explorers House. Damned good book if you're a lover of the magazine.
4 comments:
- Ms. Liminal said...
I love your blog. I found it this weekend while doing a search for a wine. I don't know a lot about wine - only what I like - so reading your information has been enlightening, though I have a long way to go.
- 01 October, 2008 14:13
- Benito said...
Welcome aboard, Ms. Liminal, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
- 01 October, 2008 15:13
Hey Benito,
That's MY book your Royal Salute is resting on! I wrote Explorers House and I am delighted to be in such good company--with you, a good smoke, and something to read. Happy to know you enjoyed my contribution.
Robert M. Poole
- 07 December, 2008 16:31
- Benito said...
It was a very enjoyable read, especially since I'd grown up around the magazine. I started flipping through it when I was six (1982), reading the captions and sidebars and later graduating to the full articles.
Of course, the real treasure was the box of old yellow-bordered magazines in the attic, as well as similar troves at the homes of relatives. You can learn a lot about geography by studying 100 years worth of maps and articles.
Thanks for reading!
- 07 December, 2008 18:28


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MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College women's basketball program and head coach Maurice Smith announced the signing of Kate Palo Thursday.
Palo is a recent graduate of Alcovy High School in Covington, Ga. where she played for head coach Kidada Holtzclaw. Palo helped lead the Tigers to the Region 3A-AAAA Regular-Season Championship, and helped the squad win their first playoff game.
"Kate will bring tons of energy and enthusiasm to our team," said Smith. "She works extremely hard on both ends of the floor. She handles the ball well and is a terrific defender. She is the ultimate team player and possesses a lot of intangibles that will make us better."
As a junior, she led the squad in scoring at 16.0 points per game, adding 4.0 rebounds per contest. The first women's basketball player in school history to reach 1,000 points, she hit for 8.0 points per game in her senior season. An All-Region and All-County pick, Palo becomes the first women's basketball player in Alcovy High history to sign an athletic scholarship. She finished her career as the Tigers' leader in scoring, free-throw percentage, free-throws made, three-point percentage and three-pointers made.
The Tigers went 25-4 in her junior year, advancing to the Region Sweet-16. They went 27-5 her senior season, advancing to the Region Final Four.Palo plans to major in exercise science.
The youthful Bobcats spent the 2011-12 season without a senior, and finished 4-22 with a 2-15 Peach Belt Conference (PBC) record. Freshman Shanteona Keys (Roswell, Ga.) became just the second PBC Freshman of the Year in school history, and added All-PBC Third Team honors as well.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/BobcatSports and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information.


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IRVING, Texas (AP) - Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent is charged with intoxication manslaughter after police in suburban Dallas say he flipped his car in a pre-dawn accident on Saturday, killing teammate Jerry Brown.
Irving police say Brent was speeding when the vehicle hit a curb and flipped.
The charge is a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison.
In a statement, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says "We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown." Jones added "At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry's family and all of those who knew him and loved him."
The team says Brent was not on the team flight to Cincinnati, where the Cowboys play the Bengals on Sunday.
Brown was a practice-squad linebacker who also was Brent's teammate at the University of Illinois for three seasons.
Former Illinois coach Ron Zook says he spoke with Brent's agent, Peter Schaffer, who told him that "Josh was distraught, and he didn't care about himself or what was happening to him," adding "All he cared about was Jerry's family."
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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You'll Like The 2008 Toyota Tacoma If...
If you're looking for a capable pickup larger than a Ford Ranger, but not as massive as a Dodge Ram, look into the 2008 Toyota Tacoma. When it comes to reliability in this segment, many organizations rank it at the top of its class.
You May Not Like The 2008 Toyota Tacoma If...
If you've driven the Honda Ridgeline or Nissan Frontier and were impressed by their car-like ride and handling, you might be disappointed that the Tacoma still drives very much like a truck.
What's New
Toyota Racing Development (TRD) offers a TRD supercharger for Tacomas equipped with the 4.0-liter V6 engine, which can be purchased and installed through the dealership. Also new for 2008 is the TRD Off-Road Rugged Trail Package that includes a locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks, 16-inch Baja wheels, black overfenders and additional skid plates.
Interior Features
Getting into and out of the 2008 Toyota Tacoma is easy, and the firm seats are designed with pleasant bolstering and adjustability to fit most body types and sizes. A recessed, three-ring instrument cluster looks handsome and is in clear view. Most, if not all of the controls are easy to reach and adjust, and steering wheel-mounted controls for the radio are available. Overall, the midsize Tacoma feels very roomy. On the Double Cab, the big back doors open up to a back seat as roomy as that in many small sedans.
Exterior Features
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma succeeds by blending classic Toyota truck styling with design features of some larger domestic models. Oversized headlamps and a wide trapezoidal grille dominate the Tacoma's assertive-looking exterior and, at a glance, the Tacoma might be mistaken for a domestic truck. The overall exterior of the Tacoma is well done, and an impeccable level of fit and finish is a known characteristic of Toyota products. Double Cab models offer a class-first roof-rack system that attaches to the roof rails. Integrated deck rails found in the bed can be used to secure optional accessories, such as the fork-mounted bike rack and diamond-plated storage boxes. The Tacoma's bed features a protective composite bed liner that is both durable and light.
Driving Impressions
The Tacoma we tested was a Double Cab, long-bed model equipped with a V6, four-wheel drive, five-speed automatic transmission and the SR5 package that includes a limited-slip differential. Put the pedal to the floor and you can feel and hear the powerful V6 working, conveying a refined sort of ruggedness. On the highway, our Tacoma rode rather nicely, but it almost seemed out of its element negotiating city streets. In general, the Tacoma always felt like it'd be happier hauling or towing something or negotiating rocks in a river. On one hand, that's exactly the attitude many buyers will require for a truck. On the other hand, the Tacoma's competition includes some other very capable trucks that offer a more "car-like" daily driving experience -- namely the Honda Ridgeline and Nissan Frontier.
Pricing Notes
The Toyota Tacoma is available in 18 distinct model configurations with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) that ranges from a low of about $15,000 for a two-wheel-drive Regular Cab to more than $30,000 for a nicely-equipped four-wheel-drive long-bed Double Cab model. The Ford Ranger and Chevrolet Colorado cost less, but don't offer as much power or interior room. The Dodge Dakota can match the Tacoma's size and even offers the option of a V8 engine, but its resale values don't come close to the Tacoma's. A look at the Fair Purchase Price will show you the typical transaction price paid for the Tacoma in your area, so be sure to check it out before you begin negotiations. Toyotas are known for their legendary ability to retain value, and the Tacoma is no exception. Kelley Blue Book expects the four-cylinder base models to retain better-than-average residual values, while the V6 Access Cab and Double Cab models should do even better.
Notable Equipment
The two-wheel-drive Tacoma's base four-cylinder engine displaces 2.7 liters. Other standard equipment includes an AM/FM CD sound system, anti-lock brakes (ABS), tachometer, two instrument panel powerpoints and rear mudguards. Access Cab X-Runner and Double Cab models include bucket seats with center console, power mirrors, power windows and power door locks.
Notable Options
Options include the 4.0-liter V6, four-wheel drive and SR5 Packages, which add color-keyed overfenders and front bumper, chrome grille surround and a chrome rear bumper. Transmission upgrades from the base five-speed manual include a four-speed automatic, five-speed automatic and six-speed manual. Optional body configurations include Access Cab and Double Cab models, plus a long bed. Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) is available on all models, while traction control with Hill-start Assist (HAC) is available on V6 models with automatic transmissions. There are also a myriad of TRD parts available including the Off-Road Package and supercharger.
Favorite Features
Six-Speed Manual
The Tacoma's six-speed manual transmission helps take full advantage of the available 236-horsepower V6.
Functional Bed
All Tacomas feature a composite inner bed with built-in storage compartments and four rail-mounted sliding tie-down cleats.
Under the Hood
Both of the Tacoma's engines, the four-cylinder and the V6, feature Toyota's VVT-i technology (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) that minimizes the compromise between low-end torque and peak horsepower. Combined with a choice of four available transmissions, two- or four-wheel drive, three cab styles and more, Toyota makes it easy to get exactly the pickup you want. Maximum towing and payload capacities are 6,500 pounds and 1,495 pounds, respectively.
2.7-liter in-line 4
159 horsepower @ 5200 rpm
180 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/25 (2WD, manual), 19/25 (2WD, automatic),
17/22 (4WD, manual)
4.0-liter V6
236 horsepower @ 5200 rpm
266 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/19 (2WD, manual), 15/18 (4WD, manual),
16/20 (2WD, automatic), 16/20 (4WD, automatic)
Editors' Notes
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma may be the Japanese automaker's smallest pickup, but it has long since left the realm of the compact courier. The Tacoma is the best selling pickup in its segment and dwarfs the Ford Ranger and Chevrolet Colorado in every area that counts. Its closest competitors are now the Dodge Dakota and Nissan Frontier and, while worthy opponents, neither can match the Tacoma's long history of reliability and high resale value. Wrapped in muscular, aggressive sheetmetal and touting the most powerful V6 engine ever to grace a small Toyota, the Tacoma has much to offer those who take their pickup trucks seriously.