text:
After the floods and cyclone -- join me on the Sunshine Coast
I will be giving both a keynote address and an all-day training at Australia's national forensic psychology conference, taking place from August 4-6 in Noosa, in the state of Queensland. Other keynote speakers are Australian forensic psychologists Paul Wilson, Don Thomson and Alfred Allan, and fellow Americans Tom Grisso and Leslie Morey.
This year's theme is "Diversity and Specialism in Forensic Psychology." If you think you have a good idea for a forensic talk or workshop, I would encourage you to submit a proposal. Be quick about it, though, as the deadline is the end of February.
Along with an exciting scientific program, the organizers are promising fun social functions and a chance to network "in a friendly and relaxed environment." Noosa is not too far away from the recent catastrophic flooding and Cyclone Yasi, but I'm sure flood waters will have receded by August. I'll be sharing more details in coming months.
Next up: Sexual violence conference in London
Forensic Psychological Services program at Middlesex University in London. My focus will be the role of culture and masculinity in multiple-perpetrator rape (the topic of my 2004 theoretical article). Again, stay tuned for more details.
I am excited to be a part of this program because of the organizers' cutting-edge efforts toward preventing sexual violence, especially rape by multiple perpetrators. The Forensic Psychological Services Program at Middlesex University sponsored similar conferences on hate crimes in 2008 and 2010, with an innovative focus on offender motivations and prevention.
You can get involved in this one, too. The organizers are inviting proposals for papers and debate panels pertaining to sexual violence, especially those based on empirical research and/or involving new and emerging topics. One of their major goals is to foster more exchange of ideas among practitioners, academics and policy makers. The deadline for submissions is April 15 (Tax Day, here on the other side of the Atlantic).


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
IBM Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 offers new function and improved performanceIBM United States Software Announcement 213-300
July 23, 2013
|Table of contents
IBM® Enterprise PL/I is a leading-edge, z/OS-based compiler that helps you create and maintain mission-critical, line-of-business PL/I applications to execute on your z/OS® systems. It gives you access to CICS® , DB2® , IMS , and other transactional and data systems.
This compiler can help facilitate your new on-demand business endeavors by helping to integrate PL/I and web-based business processes in web services, XML, Java , and PL/I applications. This compiler's interoperability helps you capitalize on existing IT investment while more smoothly incorporating new, web-based applications as part of your organization's infrastructure.
Version 4.4 offers:
- Improved middleware support for IMS and DB2
- Further exploitation of the zEC12 hardware architecture to help improve performance of the code generated under the ARCH(10) option
- Improved UTF-16 and multithreading support
- Productivity and usability improvements, many of them client requested
Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4 underscores the continuing IBM commitment to the PL/I programming language on the z/OS platform.
With Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4, you can take advantage of more than 30 years of IBM experience in compiler development.
For ordering, contact your IBM representative, an IBM Business Partner, or IBM Americas Call Centers at 800-IBM-CALL (Reference: LE001).
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|Key prerequisites
- z/OS V1.13 (5694-A01), or later
- z/OS V2.1 (5650-ZOS), or later
For details, refer to the Software requirements section.
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|Planned availability date
September 6, 2013
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Improved middleware support for IMS and DB2
- This release includes support for built-in functions that perform Base64 encoding and decoding, which can be useful in some XML processing, particularly by IMS .
- The compiler now supports new built-in functions that "clean" and "normalize" XML. These functions are important to the PL/I IMS XML convertors, and their presence in PL/I enables each of those convertors to be reduced by more than 64 KB in size.
- The compiler introduces a new PL/I attribute that creates typed OFFSET variables. This provides for significantly reduced storage usage for sparse arrays such as those often found in structures representing complex XML documents.
- The structured query language (SQL) preprocessor is enhanced to issue better diagnostic messages for incorrect programs and to create, under an option, an empty database request module (DBRM) for programs containing no SQL statements.
- The compiler now generates its assembler listing faster, thereby reducing overall compiler time and cpu consumption.
- This release includes additional exploitation of the EC12 (zEC12) processor; as such code generated with the ARCH(10) option is expected to run faster.
- The compiler has increased its exploitation of the DFP-zoned instructions in order to help improve the performance of conversions between PICTURE and FIXED BIN variables when the PICTURE has a precision between 9 and 18 and contains no drifting, no exponent, no overpunch, and no credit symbols.
- This release also improves the code generated for some WCHAR assignment statements thereby improving its support for UTF-16.
- The PL/I compiler is expanded in its ability to support UTF-16 with the addition of the new WIDEPIC attribute. WIDEPIC variables serve the same purpose as the traditional PICTURE variables with the important difference that the data is held as UTF-16 rather than as simple character data.
- The release improves the multithreading support in PL/I with the addition of the CANCEL THREAD statement.
Miscellaneous user requirements
- PL/I has always supported a subset of the full DEFAULT statement as defined in the PL/I standard. With this release, the compiler now supports the full DEFAULT statement. This provides users with more control over when and which defaults are applied to their variables.
- The compiler now supports the INDEXR built-in function, which provides the same ability to index into a string as provided by the traditional INDEX built-in function with the difference that INDEXR starts from the right rather than the left.
- The compiler now flags the declares for variables that do not have the STATIC attribute but do have more than 100 INITIAL items. This helps you identify variables that probably should be declared as STATIC, and if it would be correct to change them to STATIC, then both the compiler itself and the user code could perform better.
- The ALLOCATE built-in function is extended so that an AREA may be specified as an optional second argument thereby allowing users to allocate arbitrarily sized chunks of storage from AREAs as well as from heap storage.
- New compiler options are delivered to give the users more control of their code quality. An example is to prohibit assignments of '' to POINTER variables or to disallow %INCLUDE statements except during the preprocessor passes.
- The macro preprocessor now supports a CALL statement for use in macro procedures that wish to invoke other macro procedures that are subroutines rather than functions. This new statement increases the usefulness of procedures using the ANSWER statement and enhances the power and flexibility of the macro preprocessor.
Accessibility by people with disabilities
A US Section 508 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) containing details on accessibility compliance can be requested at
Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act
Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 is capable as of September 6, 2013, when used in accordance with associated IBM documentation, of satisfying the applicable requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, provided that any assistive technology used with the product properly interoperates with it. A US Section 508 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) can be requested on the following website
Business Partner information
If you are a Direct Reseller - System Reseller acquiring products from IBM , you may link directly to Business Partner information for this announcement. A PartnerWorld® ID and password are required (use IBM ID).
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|Hardware and software support services
SmoothStart/installation services
IBM SmoothStart and Installation Services are not provided.
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|Technical information
Specified operating environment
Hardware requirements
The Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 compiler runs on the following IBM servers:
- zEnterprise® EC12 (zEC12) or zEnterprise BC12 (zBC12)
- zEnterprise 196 or zEnterprise 114
- z10 Enterprise Class or z10 Business Class
- System z9® Enterprise Class or z9® Business Class
The Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 compiler generates code that runs on the following IBM servers:
- zEnterprise EC12 (zEC12) or zEnterprise BC12 (zBC12)
- zEnterprise 196 or zEnterprise 114
- z10 Enterprise Class or z10 Business Class
- System z9 Enterprise Class or z9 Business Class
- zSeries® z990
- zSeries z890
Software requirements
Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 runs under the control of, or in conjunction with, the currently supported releases of the following programs and their subsequent releases or their equivalents. For more information on the following programs listed that require program temporary fixes (PTFs), refer to the Program Directory and the preventive service planning (PSP) bucket.
- z/OS V1.13 (5694-A01), or later
- z/OS V2.1 (5650-ZOS), or later
Optional licensed programs
Depending on the functions used, one or more of the following programs may be required:
- CICS Transaction Server for z/OS , V5 (5655-Y04)
- CICS Transaction Server for z/OS , V4 (5655-S97)
- CICS Transaction Server for z/OS , V3 (5655-M15)
- DB2 10 for z/OS (5605-DB2)
- DB2 10 for z/OS Value Unit Edition (5697-P31)
- DB2 V9 for z/OS (5635-DB2)
- DB2 V9 for z/OS Value Unit Edition (5697-P12)
- DFSORT element of z/OS (5694-A01, 5650-ZOS)
- High Level Assembler/MVS and VM and VSE (5696-234)
- Debug Tool for z/OS , V12.1 (5655-W70)
- Debug Tool for z/OS , V11.1 (5655-W45)
- Fault Analyzer for z/OS V12.1 (5655-W69)
- Fault Analyzer for z/OS V11.1 (5655-W46)
- File Manager for z/OS V12.1 (5655-W68)
- File Manager for z/OS V11.1 (5655-W47)
- Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS , V12.1 (5655-W71)
- Application Performance Analyzer for z/OS , V11.1 (5697-Q03)
- Rational® Developer for System z® , V8 (5724-T07)
- Enterprise COBOL for z/OS , V5 (5655-W32)
- Enterprise COBOL for z/OS , V4 (5655-S71)
- Enterprise COBOL for z/OS and OS/390® , V3 (5655-G53)
- Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4 (5655-W67)
- Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V3 (5655-H31)
- PL/I for MVS & VM V1.1 (5688-235)
- For XL C/C++ with Enterprise PL/I -- You must use the XL C/C++ feature of z/OS , V1.13 (5694-A01) or the XL C/C++ feature of z/OS , V2.1 (5650-ZOS), or later
Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 as described in this announcement, is supported for use only with the announced and currently supported levels of IBM software listed above. Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 should continue to work with certain earlier, unsupported IBM software products.
IBM will undertake to fix problems found using Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 as described in this announcement with the previously mentioned earlier, unsupported product levels. IBM must be able to reproduce the problem using a supported level of the same product. If the problem can be reproduced and fixed, the fix will be developed and tested using supported levels of IBM software. If a fix is made available, it is likely to work on the unsupported product level; however, IBM can not guarantee that the fix will work with the unsupported product.
User group requirements
This announcement addresses twelve requirements from one or more of the worldwide user group communities. Groups include COMMON, COMMON Europe, Guide Share Europe (GSE), InterAction (Australia/New Zealand), Japan Guide Share (JGS), and SHARE Inc.
Requirements addressed include:
Planning information
The Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4 package includes:
- Basic machine-readable material on the customer-selected distribution medium
- Program Directory (GI11-9144)
- Licensed Program Specifications (GC14-7283)
Security, auditability, and control
The announced program uses the security and auditability features of the host operating system software. The customer is responsible for evaluation, selection, and implementation of security features, administrative procedures, and appropriate controls in application systems and communication facilities.
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|Ordering information
Ordering z/OS through the Internet
ShopzSeries provides an easy way to plan and order your z/OS ServerPac or CBPDO. It will analyze your current installation, determine the correct product migration, and present your new configuration based on z/OS . Additional products can also be added to your order (including determination of whether all product requisites are satisfied). ShopzSeries is available in the US, Canada, and several countries in Europe. In countries where ShopzSeries is not available yet, contact your IBM representative (or IBM Business Partner) to handle your order via the traditional IBM ordering process. For more details and availability, visit the ShopzSeries Website at
Current licensees
Current licensees of Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.3 must order this release via MES.
New licensees
- Orders for new licenses can be placed now.
- Customers whose orders ship before the planned availability will receive Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.3.
- Customers whose orders ship after the planned availability date will receive Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4.
- New users of Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4 should specify Type: 5655 Model: W67. New Users will receive Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4.
- The previous release, Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.3, is therefore withdrawn from marketing and being replaced by Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4.4.
For ordering information on IBM Enterprise PL/I for z/OS V4, refer to Software Announcement 210-232, dated July 22, 2010.
System z New application license charge (zNALC) ordering info
A Program Directory (GI11-9144) and Licensed Program Specifications (GC14-7283) are supplied automatically with the basic machine-readable material. No other hardcopy publications are shipped with the product. Subsequent updates (technical newsletters or revisions between releases) to the publications shipped with the product will be distributed to the user of record for as long as a license for this software remains in effect. A separate publication order or subscription is not needed.
Customized offerings
Product deliverables are shipped only via CBPDO, ServerPac, SystemPac® .
CBPDO and ServerPac are offered for Internet delivery in countries where ShopzSeries product ordering is available. Internet delivery reduces software delivery time and allows you to install software without the need to handle tapes. For more details on Internet delivery, refer to the ShopzSeries help information at
You choose the delivery method when you order the software. IBM recommends Internet delivery. In addition to Internet and DVD, the supported tape delivery options for CBPDO, ServerPac, SystemPac include:
- 3590
- 3592
Most products can be ordered in ServerPac and SystemPac the month following their availability on CBPDO. z/OS can be ordered via all three offerings at general availability. Production of software product orders will begin on the planned general availability date.
- CBPDO shipments will begin one week after general availability.
- ServerPac shipments will begin two weeks after general availability
- SystemPac shipments will begin four weeks after general availability due to additional customization, and data input verification.
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|Terms and conditions
The terms for Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4 as previously announced in Software Announcement 210-232, dated July 22, 2010, licensed under the IBM Customer Agreement, are unaffected by this announcement.
IBM Operational Support Services - SupportLine
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For additional information and current prices, contact your local IBM representative.
The pricing information for Enterprise PL/I for z/OS , V4, as previously announced in Software Announcement 210-232, dated July 22, 2010, remains unaffected by this announcement.
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|Order now
To order, contact the Americas Call Centers or your local IBM representative, or your IBM Business Partner.
To identify your local IBM representative or IBM Business Partner, call 800-IBM-4YOU (426-4968).
Phone: 800-IBM-CALL (426-2255) Fax: 800-2IBM-FAX (242-6329) Internet: firstname.lastname@example.com Mail: IBM Teleweb Customer Support ibm.com® Sales Execution Center, Americas North 3500 Steeles Ave. East, Tower 3/4 Markham, Ontario Canada L3R 2Z1
Reference: LE001
The Americas Call Centers, our national direct marketing organization, can add your name to the mailing list for catalogs of IBM products.
Note: Shipments will begin after the planned availability date.
IMS, z10 and MVS are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
IBM, z/OS, CICS, DB2, PartnerWorld, zEnterprise, System z9, z9, zSeries, Rational, System z, OS/390, SystemPac and ibm.com are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
Terms of use
IBM products and services which are announced and available in your country can be ordered under the applicable standard agreements, terms, conditions, and prices in effect at the time. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this announcement at any time without notice. This announcement is provided for your information only. Additional terms of use are located at:
For the most current information regarding IBM products, consult your IBM representative or reseller, or visit the IBM worldwide contacts page


text:
This week's trophy watch.
The Mercedes Cup put the band-aid on otherwise ho-hum week of trophies by tacking on a C350 to the winnings of Rafa Nadal, who beat Stanislas Wawrinka for his second straight Stuttgart title.
At the Pan-American Games, Jorgelina Cravero (left) and Betina Jozami won the doubles, while the singles podium had Venezuela's Milagros Sequera (center), Colombian Mariana Duque (left), and Jozami.
Radek Stepanek shook off the Black Widow's curse to beat James Blake 6-3 4-6 6-3 in the finals of the Countrywide Classic at UCLA. I'm glad Radek doesn't often win titles; his body would take a beating from doing "the worm" too much on court. (This celebration is up there with Petr Korda's scissor kick and Youzhny's salute.)
Russian Anna Chakvetadze (in her purple adidas outfit) trounced Akiko Morigami (wearing Fila) 6-1, 6-3 at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Mason, Ohio. Agnes Szavay raised a big cup after her win against Martina Muller at the WTA Palermo tournament.
Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis came out of nowhere to beat Austria's Werner Eschauer 6-1, 7-6(1) in the finals of the Dutch Tennis Open in Amersfoort. Kolya, what happened to you this week?!


text:
Stalks-The-Wind's-Shadows wrote:*listens to the banter about paper size and "dpi"* Seems like you guys use a lot more than just a pencil, eraser and paper for these things [/naive] Which is why I'd say to Matt to make the "How I draw this" take priority over the guide to the middle kingdoms --- the guide requires more brainpower to bang out. With "How I draw this" it would be just getting things written down and posted. Or have something silly, like Yerz going through the process with pics of Stillwell and Dozer in the background looking productive behind drawing boards. Or chained to them for laughs.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


text:
In Pierre, South Dakota, we visited the capitol building. It was quite nice on the inside:
In one hallway, we found a few display cases featuring photos of former South Dakota first ladies/families.
Two names that caught my eye were Calantha and Borghild.
Calantha was the step-daughter of governor William Bulow, in office from 1927 to 1931.
She was the daughter of his second wife, Sarah. Sarah's younger daughter, Venice, had died as a baby. Bulow's children with his first wife, Katherine, were named Maurene, William Jr., and Kathleen.
Borghild was the sister of governor Nils Boe, in office from 1965 to 1969.
Nils wasn't married, so Borghild served as first lady while he was governor. Their parents were Norwegian immigrants named Nils and Sissel (Sissel is a form of Cecilia). Their three sisters were named Karen, Dagney and Lois.
[What's this road trip all about?]
Related post: Baby named "Speaker" by South Dakota state legislature


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Flatbrook Farm
Flatbrook Farm is a family farm in Northern New Jersey, located just 60 miles from NYC in beautiful rural Sussex County.
The farm's vast acres of rolling hay meadows and woodlands allow us to raise our animals in a pasture based, sustainable method that Nourishes People and the Environment. Our animals are respectfully raised in a dignified and ethical manner through humane handling practices, fed non-GMO feed, a grass based diet, and are antibiotic and growth hormone free.
You will immediately know the difference in the way our products are raised based on superior taste alone.
Flatbrook Farm is committed to fulfilling your nutritional needs and our moral obligations to our animals by offering products raised using sustainable pasture-based practices.


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We ship orders within 24-48 hours. Order today — get your posters faster and cheaper than from overseas.
Use coupon code 'freedelivery' when you checkout - orders must be over $35.85.
This Art Print measures approximately cm.
We've been selling posters online since way back. We think we do a great job of it, but prefer not to live in denial; let us know what you think!


text:
Canadians hold greatest trust in the Conservatives for making the right decisions in the country's interests — but they think the NDP does the best job of representing voters' views, according to a newly released online survey by Nanos Research.
The survey, provided exclusively to CBC News, offers fresh insight into how Canadians think the federal parties are doing one year after the last federal election.
Asked what federal party is best at making decisions in the long-term interests of Canada, 27 per cent cited the Conservative Party, 21 per cent pointed to the NDP and 17 per cent lauded the Liberal Party.
But Nik Nanos, President of Nanos Research, noted a large swath of respondents were either undecided or didn't answer – showing that no party has a clear advantage.
"It's kind of like if you're in the desert, it's like drinking a dirty glass of water," he told CBC's Power & Politics host Evan Solomon. "No party has what I'll say is the upper hand on long-term decisions, because there's still a significant number of Canadians who just aren't happy with any of the federal parties."
The Conservatives also emerged in the lead on the question of which party Canadians believe is best at managing policy priorities in a changing situation. According to the poll, 25 per cent picked the Conservatives, 20 per cent the NDP and 16 per cent chose the Liberals.
The survey also asked which federal party is best at representing the views of voters who elected them. On that question, 31 per cent said the NDP was doing the best job, compared to 21 per cent who said the Conservatives were the top representative. Another 12 per cent said the Liberal Party is best for standing up for voters' interests.
The Nanos Research online survey of 1,002 Canadians was conducted between April 13-14, 2012.
Also on HuffPost


text:
Earthquake Preparedness Program
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by the rupture of geological faults. Two major fault systems are located in or adjacent to Indiana; the New Madrid Seismic Zone and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. Sections of these fault systems are located in or near southwestern Indiana.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates there is a 7 to 10 percent chance, in the next 50 years, of a repeat of a major earthquake like those that occurred in 1811-1812, which likely had magnitudes of between 7.5 and 8.0. There is a 25 to 40 percent chance, in a 50-year time span, of a magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquake.
In a report filed in November 2008, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warned that a serious earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone could result in "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States ," further predicting "widespread and catastrophic" damage across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, where a 7.7 magnitude quake or greater would cause damage to tens of thousands of structures affecting water distribution, transportation systems, and other vital infrastructure. A major earthquake could result in thousands of casualties across areas of southwestern Indiana. See - Earthquake Hazard and Impact in the New Madrid Region
The purpose of the Indiana Earthquake Preparedness Program (EPP) is to coordinate and support the numerous earthquake mitigation, planning, training, and exercise activities for the State of Indiana. The Program involves the cooperative efforts of Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) personnel as well as local, state, regional, and federal partners.
The EPP is managed through the collaborative efforts of a Program Management Team consisting of personnel from IDHS Divisions engaged in earthquake preparedness activities. The Program Management Team is responsible for establishing and maintaining Program situational awareness for key stakeholders and decision-makers. Many earthquake-related projects, activities, and events are interconnected and will occur concurrently. Effective coordination, time management, allocation of resources, and decision-making support are critical to successfully meeting program objectives.


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GDP Productions and B Someday Productions present
Skindiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Harlot
(in honor of Valentine's Day, 2013)
In continuing with our now-long-standing tradition of providing burlesque for the thinking man and the drinking man, GDP Productions (in collaboration with B Someday Productions) presents Skindiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Harlot: An Indiana Jones Burlesque. The second annual Valentine's Day collaboration between GDP and B Someday Productions, and the fourth overall collaboration over the past 2 years, Raiders of the Lost Harlot is written by Cubby Altobelli and directed by James Kiesel. Previous shows in the series include The Thighlight Zone, We Need Your Support (A PBS Burlesque), and A Study in Pink (A Sherlock Holmes burlesque).
With these shows, GDP seeks to blur the lines between traditional theatre performance and burlesque, providing satire, nuance, and production value in addition to the traditional glitz and tease typically associated with such shows. Our burlesque (and this show in particular) is much more than burlesque; it features fights by Shoshanna Ruth, puppetry by Ken Sandberg, and several other surprises along the way. Featuring an all-star cast composed of some of the top burlesque talent in Philadelphia, including Tesla Tease, Foxie Hart, and Melissa Bang Bang, Skindiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Harlot is not to be missed.
Performances are February 12th – 16th at 8pm and February 17th at 4pm, at Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 Frankford Avenue. Perks include Industry night, Wednesday pay what you can, and Thursday free craft beer from local brewers for all patrons.
$18 Tickets are available at
or by calling 215 427 9255


text:
|"Are you a wizard or not?"
The title of this article is conjectural. Although it is based on canonical information, the actual name is a conjecture and may be supplanted at any time by additional information released from canonical sources. If this occurs, please move this page to the appropriate title.
- "A streak of orange light flew under Harry's left arm and missed Ginny by inches; Harry pushed Ron up against the wall."
- —Description[src]
This hex (incantation unknown) was fired by Ronald Weasley in anger at his sister Ginny after she made fun of him for never having kissed a girl[1]. It appeared as a streak of orange light, and its name and effects are unknown[1].
Notes and references
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Secure USB key on the go
It's very convenient to have your favorite programs and data at hand when you are away form your own computer. With a large capacity USB flash drive, it's very easy to store lots of files as well as portable applications in the tiny key drive. But it's so tiny and it's really easy to get lost and your sensitive data will be at risk. Here's my solution to build a very well secured USB flash drive with all my favorite programs with settings, my frequently used documents and even all my easy-to-forget passwords.
- Use TrueCrypt to protect all data on the drive. Though most space on the USB key is encrypted, I still reserve a small mount of space to put TrueCrypt executable files for self-decrypt and autorun.
- Intall (copy) portable applications. I installed portable web browser (Firefox), email client (Thunderbird), office suite (OpenOffice), antivirus (ClamWin), IM client (Pidgin), media player (VLC), game (Sudoku) etc. Most of them can be downloaded from PortableApps.com. You can use their PortableApps Suite as well, but I just found a better alternative, PStart, it's more flexible and quicker.
- Install KeePass for password management. Because it's inside the encrypted part, which needs a password to decrypt, so your passwords will be double-secured.
- Have a copy of TiddlyWiki for notes. My favorite notebook utility so far. You can easily turn it into an address book by Twab plugin. There are many plugins out there that can enhance TiddlyWiki, but I prefer to keep it simple and quick, and most importantly, get things done.


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LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The "Peepoo" doesn't look like much more than a green-and-white plastic bag. But in fact it's a single-use, biodegradable toilet that stops faeces from contaminating the immediate area and turns it into fertiliser within a month.
The toilet is manufactured and sold to aid agencies by Swedish-based company Peepoople. It has been used around the world in places that lack basic sanitation - from schools in Nairobi's Kibera slum, to the typhoon-hit city of Tacloban in the Philippines, and camps for Syrians who have fled conflict.
While its popularity is growing, Peepoople's Åsa Angelino says the company didn't find it easy to break into the aid market. "We're often seen as the bad guys," she told a debate on the participation of businesses in humanitarian work in London this week. "We get asked why we set up as a for-profit organisation rather than a (non-profit) NGO."
The reasons for that, she said, are that the profit margin from selling the toilets can both finance more research and be invested in the production line.
This is an important consideration for many businesses when they get involved in emergency relief work, agreed Helena Fraser, chief of the private sector section at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Innovation is vital to improve the delivery of aid, but it also costs money. "It is absurd to think that this will happen without some commercial thinking," she said. "Commercial interests should not be seen as a negative thing."
Randolph Kent, director of the Humanitarian Futures Programme (HFP) at Kings College London and co-author of a new report on the role of the private sector in emergency preparedness and response, underlined the need to break down barriers between the aid and business communities.
"It's a question of people getting out there and engaging with each other," he said.
For example, aid agencies could invite in business people to work with them, but not on the basis of traditional corporate social responsibility or philanthropic approaches. "They should ask instead what is our respective value-add and comparative advantages?" Kent said.
The report, issued by the HFP and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), argues that rather than cash donations, "optimism surrounding private sector engagement is rooted in the innovations, new technologies and other capabilities that businesses can bring to the humanitarian enterprise".
"With significant logistical abilities, massive resources invested in R&D and highly capable personnel, many within the aid community hope that businesses can do for humanitarian aid what Amazon did for the world of retail or what Microsoft and Apple did for personal computing," it says.
The researchers also conducted four country case studies that included examples of insurers offering drought cover in Kenya, a bank in Jordan assisting the World Food Programme with an e-voucher system for Syrian refugees, and banks and telecoms companies providing mobile money systems in post-earthquake Haiti.
Steven A. Zyck, an ODI research fellow who co-wrote the report, said businesses acting in humanitarian crises is nothing new. They are often among the first to respond to disasters, bringing in supplies and getting markets up and running again. Many move quickly to protect and support their own staff and families when they're affected.
The opportunities for the aid community to cooperate with the private sector will increase in future, Zyck said - especially when it comes to challenges like climate change, pandemics and technological failures, where businesses have a competitive advantage.
"There is a new breed of daunting challenges that aid agencies are not well equipped to handle," he said.
In addition, some middle-income countries collaborate with the private sector when disasters hit in the hope it will boost economic growth down the line.
Other nations prefer dealing with business partners to international government donors that might put conditions on aid. Or they want to get away from the image of "a devastated country in a shambles," Zyck said.
Private companies played a prominent role in the relief effort after super typhoon Haiyan barrelled across the Philippines last November.
OCHA deployed someone specifically to liaise with businesses and channel offers of help to the right parts of the humanitarian system.
But there's still a lot that could be done better, Fraser noted. After Haiyan, for example, the private sector had organised within days into groups focused on different activities, such as shelter, but no connection was made with the humanitarian "clusters" working on similar issues.
At the behest of U.N. aid chief Valerie Amos, OCHA is now making a push to find practical ways of working with the private sector, as are many donor governments and a growing number of aid charities.
Fraser said the 80 local networks of the United Nations Global Compact, a U.N. initiative for businesses committed to 10 principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption, could be a good starting point - but efforts should be made to forge links before disasters happen.
The HFP/ODI report makes recommendations for strengthening cooperation - from setting up information hubs to contacting chambers of commerce and finding ways to help small businesses get back on their feet after a disaster.
"If traditional humanitarian actors do not more fully open themselves to private sector partnerships and approaches, they may grow less relevant," the report said.
(Editing by Ros Russell; firstname.lastname@example.com)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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2.8M NextGen 9 Kayaks
Package Includes:
- 1x NextGen 9' Fishing Kayak
- 1x Luxury Vantage Aluminium Seat
- 1x Lightweight Floatable Paddle
- 1x 360° Adjustable Rod Holder
- 4x Built-in Rod Holders
- 2x Storage Hatch (Front 9" & Middle 8" with Built-in Tackle Box)
- 1x 1m Long Paddle Leash
Optional Extras*:
Kayak's unique design allows for several accessories to be installed with ease.
- Rudder System - For easy manoeuvring
- Customizable Foot Rest Area - For better comfort
- Flag Whip and Pennant - For better Visibility
- Foot Traction Pad - For better Grip While Fishing Standing Up
- Track Rails - To install Various Accessories such as GoPro, Fish Finder etc
- Sun Shade - To protect from UV exposure
- 22L Cooler Box - Fits perfectly in back storage area
- Trolling Motor - Tired of paddling, hook up a battery and off you go
*Items listed above are sold separately.
Additional Features:
- Specially designed groove with brass bolt inserts to easily install the motor bar and trolling motor.
- Large footrest area designed for greater control and comfort.
- Large storage at the back of kayak along with Bungee cord for securing larger items. Our cooler box fits perfectly in this area.
- Four built-in and one 360º Swivel rod holder, plenty for even the most passionate fisherman.
- Six scupper holes with drain plugs around the body of Kayak for easy drainage if needed.
- Carry handles on each side with straps that can hold the paddle in place.
- Carry handles on the front and back for easy carriage while using a trolley.
- Built-in bottle holders.
- Kayaks come wrapped in bubble wrap and a plastic sheet to protect it during transport.
- Kayaks are stackable, making it easier to transport two-three kayaks at a time.
- Option to install Tracks along the length of Kayak, useful for attaching various accessories such as GoPro, Fish Finder etc.
Why Buy From Us:
For 10 years, Kayaks2Fish has focused on one thing — allowing paddlers of any skill level to enjoy the thrill that comes from being surrounded by water and nature. The passion for kayaking, fishing and outdoors is what flows in our blood and we are passionate about bringing the products that are as good as, if not better, than the big brand stores at a price that doesn't break the bank.
- 10 years of industry experience
- Best value kayaks in Australia
- Parts and after-sales support
- 30 Days money back guarantee
- Same day collection
- Thousands of happy customers
- Hundreds of positive reviews online
- Brand: Kayaks2Fish
- Model: NextGen 9
- Material: HDPE
- Weight Capacity: 150kg
- Weight: 19kg
- Length: 280cm
- Width: 85cm
- Height: 33cm
- Warranty on Kayak body: 3 years
- Warranty on Kayak parts: 3 months
Important: Always check local weather conditions and wear an approved life jacket when kayaking.
Please Note: Kayaks colours may vary slightly than depicted in images due to hand mixing of colours. There may be slight differences in design as we have several moulds to meet the high demand for our kayaks. The differences are only minor and do not impact the performance of kayaks.


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Google Translate offers "com" (together) and "pitum" (is taken) but "pitum" is not in any other Latin dictionary.
The Latin Dictionary at http://catholic.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin ... mp&ending= lists the following words that begin with "compi-":
- compilatio -onis, f. (a pillaging); hence (a compilation of documents).
- compilo -are, (to bundle together); hence (to pack up and take off, to plunder, rob).
- compingo -pingere -pegi -pactum, (to put together, construct); (to confine, lock up, conceal). Hence partic., compactus -a -um, (constructed, built); hence (firm, compact).
- compitalicius -a -um, (relating to the Compitalia).
- compitalis -e, (relating to or belonging to the crossroads); "Lares", (the deities who, presided over crossroads). N. as subst. Compitalia -ium and -orum, (the, festival in honor of these deities). [Per WP, Lares "… were guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. … Those who protected local neighbourhoods (vici) were housed in the crossroad shrines (Compitales)."]
- compitum -i, n. (a place where two roads meet, crossroads).
But I'm unclear as to "pitum". None of the "pi-" words at http://catholic.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin ... pi&ending= seem to fit.
I'd appreciate any guidance. Thanks.


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Bay Area Rapid Transit celebrates 40 years of service Tuesday. On this day in 1972, the first trains began operating on the Oakland-Fremont line between the MacArthur and Fremont stations.
Theresa Edwards and her daughter Mekela were the first paying customers through the gates at the 12th Street-Oakland City Center station.
Service on the Richmond line began in January 1973, followed by Concord in May 1973. The Transbay Tube between Oakland and San Francisco opened in August 1973, and the Transbay crossing to Daly City opened in September 1974.
Go to insidebayarea.com for a slideshow of BART's construction from 1964 to the opening of the system in 1972.
— Veronica Martinez


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To ensure that Scouting grows and continues to be a thriving force in shaping tomorrow's leaders today, the Denver Area Council has embarked on an aggressive endowment program calling for 20 percent of its annual operating budget to come from endowment investments, where the principle remains untouched.
You can help! Invest in the future of Scouting and become a member of the Heritage Society. Rest assured that your gift remains intact and that only the interest from the investment is used to promote and fund existing Scouting programs, thereby building a legacy for future generations. Gifts — large or small — can consist of cash, securities, a planned gift through your Will, add a codicil (amendment) to your Will, or consider a dozen other methods. Please consult your attorney or financial advisor.
Giving opportunities that grow:
For additional information on these giving opportunities, please visit www.bsafoundation.org.
The Planning Strategies Chart is designed to summarize the benefits of some of the main types of charitable gift. Think about what you want to accomplish with your gift and there is probably a way to do it. Download the Planning Strategies Chart.
We're here to answer any questions you might have about Planned Giving. We can examine your particular situation and together with your attorney and/or financial advisors, help to find ways to support our mission while ensuring your family's financial security.


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During his recent trip to Shenzhen in China, Elite Ayrshire Business Circle executive chairman and Frazer Coogans Commercial Solicitors managing partner Norman Geddes visited the Mission Hills golf and leisure resort.
The visit was at the invitation of Mr and Mrs Michael Zhou and mineral water bottling and distribution company Ganten, who recently purchased Blairquhan Castle in South Ayrshire.
Also on the trip were Norman's wife Katrina and daughter Clare, former Blairquhan Castle owners Sir Patrick and Lady Hunter Blair and members of their family, and Ayrshire business couple Jim and Meiqin McColm.
[Pictured: Clare Geddes and Niamh Hunter Blair.]
The objective of the visit was to further promote business and cultural links between China and Ayrshire.
Mission Hills is China's highest rated golf and leisure resort, and the world's largest golf club according to the Guinness World Records.
Winner of multiple international awards, the 20 square kilometre golf complex features no less than twelve 18-hole resort and championship courses designed by golf's greatest legends and architects, including a top championship course by Jack Nicklaus.
Mission Hills is the cradle of golf in China and hosts the region's most important tournaments, including the World Cup of Golf and the Asian Amateur Championship.
Golf in China is a growing industry, with numerous golf courses being established, especially in the province of Hainan. There are around 358,000 core players among Chinese population. That figure is projected to grow to about 20 million by 2020. For the general public, golf is considered to be prohibitively expensive. However, it is seen as the top recreational sport for businesspeople and officials.
Despite a ban that limits the number of golf courses in China due to environmental impact concerns, the number has more than tripled since 2004. At that time, only 170 courses existed. By 2009 there were almost 600.
Mission Hills China, owner and operator of Mission Hills Shenzhen and Mission Hills Resort Hainan, is a key player in the country's fledgling sports and leisure industry.
Despite a ban that limits the number of golf courses in China due to environmental impact concerns, the number has more than tripled since 2004. At that time, only 170 courses existed. By 2009 there were almost 600.
Mission Hills China, owner and operator of Mission Hills Shenzhen and Mission Hills Resort Hainan, is a key player in the country's fledgling sports and leisure industry.
The Mission Hills brand encompasses several sub-brands, including Mission Hills Golf Clubs, Mission Hills Residences, as well as Mission Hills Hotels & Resorts.
It is also the host, promoter and underwriter of several major golf tournaments, including the Omega Mission Hills World Cup and the Mission Hills Star Trophy. The company employs approximately 14,000 people across its two operations.
Norman Geddes commented: "In Ayrshire we have a unique golf tourism offering, with Prestwick being the home of Open championship golf and current Open Championship courses Turnberry and Royal Troon plus other less well known gems.
"With the Ryder Cup being played in Scotland next year at Gleneagles, and the Open Championship returning to Royal Troon in 2016, we in Ayrshire have the opportunity to take particular advantage of the spotlight of publicity being trained upon Scotland and Scottish golf."
At the time of the purchase of Blairquhan Castle, Mr Michael Zhou, owner and managing director of Ganten China, said: "Ganten wish to expand and diversify in Scotland with the aim of becoming a provider of top level accommodation and hospitality for elite Chinese and foreign tourists who desire only the best."
Their aim is to stimulate business between China and Scotland and believe that they are the trailblazers, bringing valuable investment to Scotland.
The company are very sensitive to the cultural and historical aspects of Scotland and wish their move to be seen as promoting business here and culture in China.
Mr Zhou added: "It is the wish of Ganten to bring together the cultures of China and Scotland, by encouraging even greater tourist opportunities to the ever-growing affluent Chinese market.
"Ganten wish to become a pioneering, China-based organisation who shall bring to Scotland a sound and innovative platform for mutually beneficial tourist, cultural and commercial ventures."
Norman Geddes concluded: "The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle will work closely with Michael and Amanda Zhou to maximise business, cultural and sporting relations between China and Ayrshire. We will be paying particular attention to the golf tourism market, but also looking at the wider picture in order to benefit the whole Ayrshire economy in general."
PR-Inside The Open Press
PR-Inside The Open Press


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Committee of the Executive.
Jason is arguing for the immediate resignation of National Executive Policy Chair Joan Bourassa over on Facebook. I"m of the opinion that I guy not doing HIS job should not being calling for someone else's resignation for apparently not doing hers (mostly ist's just Jason who thinks she hasn't done her job).
Here's my reason for asking for the entire Ontario Management Committee to resign:
Article VII of the LPC(O) Constitution
ARTICLE VII - ANNUAL AND GENERAL MEETINGSAs you can see, the time has passed for any sort of proper, legal meeting of Ontario members. You know, Ontario members that form a large majority of the LPC membership across Canada. Those members.
Call of
Meeting; Notice; Authority
1. The Annual Meeting of LPC(O) shall be held each year at a time and place to be fixed by the Executive Board or in an electoral emergency the Management Committee, provided such date is no later than eighteen (18) months from the date of the prior Annual Meeting. The Executive Board may direct the President to call a special meeting of LPC(O) upon ninety (90) days notice at any time for such purpose as it may consider advisable. Those eligible to attend and vote at a special meeting shall be selected in the same manner as those who may attend and vote at an Annual Meeting. If an election or a Leadership Convention is called or there is electoral emergency after the time and place for the Annual Meeting or a special meeting is fixed, the Management Committee may postpone the Annual Meeting or the special meeting for such reasonable period of time as is required to enable LPC(O) to participate in the election or Leadership Convention or to deal with the electoral emergency even if as a result of the postponement, an Annual Meeting is held more than eighteen (18) months after the prior Annual Meeting . However, an Annual Meeting shall not be postponed to a date more than 24 months after the prior Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting or a special meeting may review, and by majority vote, amend or revoke any act or regulation passed, taken or made by the Management Committee or the Executive Board, provided such act shall not apply retroactively.
2. Notice in writing shall be sent at least ninety (90) days prior to the Annual Meeting to all persons entitled to attend as delegates, other than those to be elected under paragraph 3 (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f), and to the secretaries of all Electoral District Associations and to the President and Secretary of all other organizations entitled to send delegates to the Annual Meeting.
Had we had such an AGM Ontario Liberals would have been able to meet in a proper forum to put forward and approve any policies or LPC Constitutional amendments to the National Convention in January. Instead we've had to make due with ideas on the fly. You see Jason Cherniak and his team members are equally responsible for what he says Joan hasn't done. That is they failed to properly consult the membership.
Jason has argued that the Management Committee didn't have enough time to call and AGM and that party resources in Ontario were too stretched to hold DSMs to such and event - even though DSMs were already being held anyway for the National Convention. Plus there was and election in May and October don't ya know. And, instead of having an AGM, the committee in its infinite wisdom decided to hold an event that pretty much costs the same amount called and Executive Board Meeting last week in Niagara Falls.
People in glass houses Jason. People in glass houses.
Feel free to discuss.


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Often books are used as a measure of success for a technology platform. For instance, O'Reilly used to publish a bi-yearly report on the state of the technology book market. (They may still, though I can't find one more recent than last year.)
And since today I received an email letting me know that a new book called "Effortless Flex 4 Development" was released (written by Larry Ullman, a well known author of many technology books), I decided to check Amazon to see how many Flex 4 books have been released.
A quick search for "flex 4" yielded 18 results for published and soon to be published books on Flex 4, plus one curiously titled "Handbook of School-Gymnastics of the Swedish System" (Note to Amazon: you may want to work on your search algorithm.)
The highest rated book is from Adobe: Adobe Flex 4: Training from the Source, Volume 1. The second highest is the Flex 4 Cookbook: Real-world recipes for developing Rich Internet Applications (Oreilly Cookbooks), based on recipies from the Adobe Developer Connection Cookbook site. Either of them would be great books for someone looking to come up to speed on Flex development.
There are 67 books available for Flex 3, which has been out for about 2 1/2 years. Flex 4 books are already nearly 1/3 of the way to that total, only 6 months into release.


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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7
901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
EPA Region 7 to Announce Expansion of Environmental Partnerships with Iowa City, Iowa
Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, firstname.lastname@example.com
(Kansas City, Kan., June 27, 2012) - EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks, Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek, and others will hold a news conference Friday, June 29, to announce a new environmental partnership between EPA and the City of Iowa City, Iowa.
EPA is providing a $60,000 urban waters grant to Iowa City for modifications to the Burlington Street Dam, which will result in water quality improvements, improved fish habitat, flood mitigation and revitalization of the Riverfront Crossings District. The funding is part of EPA's Urban Waters Program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve and benefit from urban waters and surrounding land.
EPA has worked closely with the University of Iowa and Iowa City officials to initiate numerous environmental partnerships. One of the university partnerships is related to increasing awareness about the shared value of Iowa's water resources and the impact of land use along rivers. As part of the Iowa City partnerships, EPA provided a market analysis, transit development study and plans for the Riverfront Crossings District. The plan provides a vision for redevelopment of underutilized properties with a mixture of housing, commercial and civic uses and restoration of the floodplain as a major riverfront park.
WHAT: Announcement of expansion of environmental partnerships with Iowa City
WHEN: 9:00 a.m., June 29, 2012 (Tour of the riverfront for news media will begin at 9:30 a.m.)
WHERE: Stanley Hydraulics Laboratory, Room 127, 300 S. Riverside Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 (Parking is available south of the laboratory on Riverside Drive.)
WHO: EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks, Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Environmental Services Division Administrator Bill Ehm, University of Iowa Director of Hydroscience and Engineering Larry Weber, and Iowa City Chamber of Commerce Vice President Rebecca Neades
VISUALS: Iowa City officials will share project details during a tour of the riverfront highlighting Burlington Street Dam modifications for improved water quality, riverbank stabilization and fish habitat.
# # #
Learn more about EPA's Urban Waters Program
Locate this and other Region 7 news items on the News Where You Live interactive map
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7
Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.
View all Region 7 News Releases
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
EPA News Media Advisory (Region 7): EPA Region 7 to Announce Expansion of Environmental Partnerships with Iowa City, Iowa
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Verve Letterpress Woodgrain Business Cards
Designer of luxury stationery Leslie Vega created these business cards for the photographers of Verve Studio. Visit her blog post here for some additional images and details. These letterpress business cards took us some time in production with six passes through the press. They feature a brown paper imprinted with a woodgrain texture in tonal varnish with the text in a metallic silver ink overprint. The offwhite side of the card is printed in three colors in tight, tight register. The stock is custom duplexed Crane Lettra Pearl White 110lb cover to Wausau Royal Complements Chocolate Truffle 100lb cover. The final card was round corner die cut to size.


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The Symfony blog has officially announced this year's symfony camp happening September 12th and 13th:
This year again, DOP organizes the symfony camp. The event takes place on the 12th and 13th of September. This is a unique opportunity to meet the community. The camp will start with a training on symfony 1.1, given by Nicolas Perriault (symfony 1.1 release manager). The second day is packed with great talks.
Speakers already lined up for the event include Dustin Whittle, Fabian Lange, Lambert Beekhuis and Ian Christian. Check out the official site for more information on where it's happening and to reserve your spot today.


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Search For Properties In Lake Rogers
View All Lake Rogers Listings ›
Current Properties in Lake Rogers
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On the western shore of the Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Rogers is an idyllic waterfront neighborhood sought after for its remarkable tranquility and magnificent views overlooking the wide waters of Lake Rogers to the lush woodlands of Spanish River Park. Lake Rogers luxury real estate is well located just south of Northeast Spanish River Boulevard, leading directly to the gorgeous stretch of Atlantic Ocean beachfront that spans the parklands.
Most Lake Rogers luxury homes for sale on the deepwater canals are outfitted with private docks for enjoying the Gold Coast's quintessential boating lifestyle. At the end of its quiet cul-de-sacs, Lake Rogers real estate also features a select number of point estates which are prized for their commanding waterfront panoramas. Lake Rogers homes for sale are conveniently located only a 5±-minute drive from Mizner Park's world-class shopping, dining, and entertainment in the heart of beautiful downtown Boca Raton. The city's private executive airport is also just a 5±-minute drive. The central Gold Coast location is approximately midway between Palm Beach International Airport and Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, both approximately 30 minutes away.


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Contribute info about Eidsvold, QLD
Not the 'Eidsvold' you were after? Try: Eidsvold (the homestead) near Eidsvold in Queensland; or Eidsvold (the regional area) in Queensland.
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Hear the Roar of LEO
LEO has been built to last. Feel the smartphone Commodore LEO in your hands: the reinforced aluminum shell, enclosed by the layers of 2.5D glass, immediately provides a unique feeling of solidity and durability.
A clear and bright sound because every word, every sound, every emotion is important
Online Social Life has never been so simple thank to social networks apps and messaging services like facebook, whatsapp, instagram or twitter
360° Connectivity With bluetooth and wifi all your devices will be in your hand.
Reliable. Resistant. Bright.
Play New Games
Schedule App
News Feeds
Your Small Office
Fast Web Navigation
Photo Editing
Simple User Interface
Fits Retro Gaming


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Reality-based faith vs. superstitious faithAugust 21, 2007 — Deacon Duncan
A commenter writes:
Belief in the existence of God or belief that there is no god requires faith.
Yes, and I'll take it a step further: belief in reality requires a stronger and better faith than belief in superstition. And those who embrace the truth have a stronger and better faith than Christians do, because Christian faith is mere gullibility, whereas genuine faith is based on real-world truth.
The commenter is writing from a perspective of Universal Agnosticism (see? I told you it would come up):
The term 'reality' is relative…
Again, truth is not really known. You cannot prove that God isn't there. If you could, this conversation wouldn't be happening because there would be nothing to discuss. Therefore, truth is not defined. I do love truth and BELIEVE or HAVE FAITH that the God that I call on IS TRUTH. You apparently BELIEVE or HAVE FAITH that TRUTH is something else. I'm not disputing the fact that you believe something. But, neither of us will be able to truly claim that we know until we're both dead.
His viewpoint, of course, is suffering from a serious defect, which is that according to his definitions, the truth about God is not humanly knowable. In order for that to be true, however, it would necessarily have to be equally true that none of the things he believes about God, and none of the things the Bible says about God, are actually based on any knowledge of the truth. By his own definitions, the meaningful content of his faith cannot be anything more than pure, unfounded fantasy. He manages to escape from the inevitable conflict between his faith and the real world, but he does so at the expense of abandoning reality and thus rendering his own believes irrelevant to the truth.
Hence the quick change of subject:
Rather than just participating in pointless tit-for-tat…lets get back to the idea that I originally posted: Belief in the existence of God or belief that there is no god requires faith.
I suppose he would be a bit surprised to find that I agree, and I also agree with the title of the book by Geisler and Turek which is the current subject of XFiles Friday: I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST. What's interesting is that both the commenter and the authors are trying to prove the same point: they are trying to weaken the case for a reality-based view by implying that it is a matter of faith rather than a matter of fact and knowledge. In making this appeal, they reveal the weaknesses of their own concept of faith, and their lack of familiarity with reality-based faith.
Reality-based faith has three elements. First and foremost, reality-based faith is based on a broad experience of reality. Our experiences in the real world give us a solid foundation on which to base our faith. For example, we have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow because we have a broad, solid experience of seeing the sun rise every morning (or for some of us, at least seeing that the sun has managed to make it up above the horizon again while we were sleeping). The "confidence quotient" of our faith is based on having seen and experienced that which we are putting our trust in.
Secondly, reality-based faith is built on embracing the real-world truth. Experiencing reality is not always enough. We must also embrace it, which means that, in the negative sense, we must not try to deny reality, and in the positive sense, we must accept it and understand it as best we can. We want a solid, well-founded faith, and that means that the intellectual content of our faith needs to match the reality that it is based on. Otherwise, our faith will be out of step with reality, and thus ill-founded and unlikely to bring us the benefits that come from having a well-founded faith.
Lastly, reality-based faith must positively affirm that which we believe. This is perhaps the most obvious aspect of faith, but it is not the sole aspect of genuine faith. Genuine faith means you experience the real-world truth, then you embrace the real-world truth, and lastly you affirm the real-world truth. This is a strong, well-founded, and reliable faith.
Superstitious faiths, like Christianity for instance, have a much weaker faith that's built upside down. In Christianity, someone first affirms a dogma. Then the believer embraces the dogma. Then lastly, the believer tries to get his real-world experience to match the content of his beliefs. It's a lot of work, and the results are often frustrating and confusing. When the believer is intelligent and intellectually honest, like the commenter, very often the result is that they clearly see the need to make a choice between denying reality and denying Christianity–the conflicts between the two are simply too pervasive and too irreconcilable to embrace them both. And far too often, the believer will choose to deny reality, as the commenter does, rather than give up their faith.


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As the Pfister's Artist in Residence this year, Katie is painting a total of six portraits of staff in the Hotel, all in an open studio where Hotel guests and visitors can come in and interact with her. A portrait painter, she spends about 20 hours with each of her sitters, getting to know them so that their personality is embedded in the finished work. In response to a question from one of the students about her decision to make art full-time, despite warnings of becoming a starving artist, Katie explained how she became successful: a combination of saving money, balancing commissions and personal artwork, and the importance of being confident in oneself as an artist. She even showed us a recent painting of her father, a weapons buff, done in Renaissance style, all in grays–that is, in grisaille, a term she first learned in Satellite years ago.
The class had a great time on our field trip. Many thanks to Katie! Make sure you stop into the Pfister sometime to see Katie's work–she's in her first-floor Hotel studio Thursdays through Sundays.


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Those lucky enough to have access to Post War SCTA Racing Programs will see an astonishing number of competitors who raced at El Mirage Dry Lake with little or no recognition. The official entry list from September 25-26, 1948, had 249 entries. Of those names listed were the points leaders: Stu Hilborn, Alex Xydias, Phil Remington, and Ak Miller, whose achievements at the lakes and in the automotive industry drew the ink and made them legends.
In far greater numbers were racers who ran with distinction but left the hot rod scene to pursue other careers, like Bernie Couch. Bernie's ink would come from his and his older brother Morey's printing business that they had for 43 years—that is until now.
Bernie Couch was born in 1924 in Yorba Linda, California—a community of orange and lemon groves back when he was growing up. Bernie's father, Entler, was a farmer in Tennessee before moving to California. If you recall the 1939 John Steinbeck novel, The Grapes of Wrath, many farmers fled to California during the Great Depression only to find an abundance of cheap labor once they got to the Golden State: "My dad went through the Depression when you couldn't find a job and worked at anything he could find to do," Bernie begins. "He ended up working at a citrus grove in 1938, then for the county road department for a time, and then he went to work at a cemetery and dug graves."
Mr. Couch dug graves for the remainder of his working years while Mrs. Couch worked at a packinghouse for 15 cents an hour, washing lemons before she quality-graded them, for 18 years.
School 'N' Big Brother
"Just about all I took in high school were shop classes," Bernie says. "I took wood shop, machine shop, metal shop, drafting; I never did get into the foundry at school but I also took print shop."
If you think the shop classes offered by schools decades ago was a way of dealing with students with low IQs or keeping them entertained and out of trouble−think again. Any one of the shop classes that Bernie or his fellow students took gave them a leg-up on a lifelong career in one of the trades. In Bernie's case, taking print shop would become the stepping stone to his future livelihood and that's exactly how he would earn his living for the rest of his working life in the printing business. (All of the legendary hot rodders I've interviewed will tell you that taking shop classes in high school was as important to their future careers as the academic side of school. More importantly, every school offered shop.)
Bernie's older brother, Morey, looked after young Bernie. When Morey began working for a paper company as an outside contractor he hired Bernie to work there as well. In fact, Bernie followed Morey through life you might say, later into the Navy during World War II, and finally in business together.
The Deuce
"When I was 16, I bought a Deuce roadster for $280 that was owned by Dick Hartzler. He belonged to the Tornado Car Club in Santa Ana with my brother, Morey. Morey told me [Hartzler] traded his roadster in on a new '37 Ford. It ended up sitting on the used car lot at McCoy Mills Ford in Fullerton in 1942. [Hartzler] went to jail for five days for street racing in it. That's when he decided to sell the car."
Morey cosigned the credit application for Bernie: "I didn't have the money to put down on the car until the 15th of the month when I got paid by my brother; they held the car for me. I started making payments of $14.30 a month. I worked all the time while I was in school and I guess you could say my girlfriend in school was my car because I couldn't afford both. I picked up a paper route at the Fullerton Tribune News to pay off the car—but when I couldn't buy tires for my roadster that I wore out, I had to quit the paper route."
Bernie was slinging 200 papers a day on his 50-mile route in his roadster, but because of the war effort, not only couldn't he buy tires, only four gallons of fuel a week was permitted from 1942-45. That meant any driving Bernie did had to be close to home.
Still going to high school, Bernie landed a job at Douglas Aircraft. "When I was 18, I went to work at midnight, was off at 7:30 a.m., and got to school by 8. At 3:15 I got out of school, went home to sleep, and did the same thing again," he laughs.
"I went to my prom down at Huntington Beach the Friday night before going to the lakes in 1941. I had a girl by then but my buddy said, 'You can't take that girl in your roadster!' He told me to take her in his new '40 Chevy. The next day, five of us piled into the Chevy and went to Muroc dry lake. I remember one of the Spalding Brothers was there—he ran an overhead-valve V-8 in his Modified roadster. (The blown OHV was a Riley—the brothers ran 132 mph the day Bernie was there.) I thought the cam was going to come right out of it, it was so loud. Doug Caruthers was there as well." (Caruthers was another record holder before World War II and later sold his Modified to Le Roy Neumayer and Art Chrisman.)
You can bet the experience of going to Muroc stayed with Bernie. While it would eventually be closed to the public for good, Bernie would return to race at El Mirage after the war.
Anchor's Aweigh
Bernie followed Morey into the Navy, and once in, traveled an astonishing 190,000 nautical miles during World War II by the time he was 21. His ship, the USS Anzio Coral Sea CVE-57, was an escort carrier engaged in 10 battles in the Pacific with the Japanese. The first 100 days at sea, the ship was engaged in its first battle near Makin Island when its sister ship positioned next to it was hit, going to the bottom in 23 minutes. Miraculously, 174 seamen survived. Bernie was assigned to the boiler room (one of the most dangerous, noisiest, and hottest places to be onboard ship). "It was 140 degrees where I worked."
In all, 27 Japanese flags were mounted on the ship's bridge (the room where the ship is commanded), representing six submarines sunk plus 21 enemy aircraft shot down by the USS Anzio while Bernie was on board.
Bernie bought a house for his folks in Yorba Linda when he was 19 while he was stationed in the Pacific: "I didn't need money so I sent it to them. Within six months I made 3rd class petty officer, so my pay went up. My folks were renting the house. I had $350 in the bank; they came up with the extra to make the $500 down payment and bought it for $2,500." Are you ready for the house payments? Just $25 a month!
When Bernie was discharged from the Navy in 1946, he became circulation manager for the Fullerton Tribune News (the very one he started as a paper boy and janitor at), but soon he realized he wasn't cut out for circulation manager and he went to the pressroom in the printing end of the newspaper business.
While at the paper Bernie was given $50 per month under the GI Bill for going to Fullerton College. Bernie worked at a gas station, in a print shop, "and I did anything I could to make a dime. I worked at night to earn 50 cents worth of gas, which was about 15 cents a gallon. It was enough to go to El Mirage."
El Mirage
El Mirage was a major commitment, as you can see, but to do so his '32 had to shed some weight. The headlights, bumpers, windshield, and fenders had to come off (the fenders were hung on the back of his garage and not tossed like so many did). After all, Bernie was still running a bone-stock Flathead V-8, so every ounce removed meant more miles per hour and, frankly, more miles per gallon getting to the lake. This was really a challenge for Bernie to see just what Henry's Ford motor was capable of. And capable it was, reaching 108.56-screaming miles per hour in July 1948.
In the interim, Bernie's '32 was displayed at the SCTA Hot Rod Exposition, or if you prefer, the first Hot Rod Show at the Los Angeles Armory in Exposition Park in 1948 (where Hot Rod magazine was basically born). After viewing the quality of race cars and hot rods like Bernie's and meeting the so-called hooligans, Joe Public came away with a more positive mindset because of the show.
As his income increased so did his speed. Bernie replaced the Ford with a '39 Merc block, with a Potvin cam and ignition, Navarro intake manifold, and Earl Evans heads. Bernie campaigned his roadster at El Mirage from 1946-50, where his fastest speed was 134.32 mph. He came close to the C-Roadster Class record with that speed in September 1950, but on his return run he hit a hole in the lake bed ending his chances that day−for good it turns out. Bernie never returned to run again. Soon, balancing the books became more important than his name in the record books.
Now you know one of the 249 competitors at El Mirage that September weekend in 1948: Bernie Couch. Mr. Couch joins the list of legendary hot rodders who have graced the pages of R&C over the years. And it's a good bet that he is the only one on that entry list who still has his hot rod. Thank you, sir, for sharing your story and your priceless photographs with us.
Personal Note
I was competing at Bonneville this past summer when Bernie, along with his son, Brian, and grandson, Travis, drove to our pit (I run a Pontiac Fiero with an Olds Quad-4) and introduced himself. Bernie had never stepped foot on the salt before. He wanted to go to the first Bonneville in 1949 but never made it. For 61 years, life, family, and business kept interrupting until the 2011 Speed Weeks when he would be denied no more.
Then … and Now
On The Couch
Spending so much time and endless days at sea during the war might have influenced Bernie's decision to hit the road when he was discharged. After working for the Anaheim Gazette for 14 months and getting his union card, Bernie filled up his gas tank and headed east—first at the Billings Gazette in Montana, then the Omaha World Herald, then onto the St. Louis Post Dispatch setting up ads.
"Then I went to work for the Indianapolis Star News just in time for the Indianapolis 500 in 1952. I got in the pits every day and I remember talking to Freddy Agabashian, who was driving the Cummins Diesel. [Agabashian] was standing by the car. You couldn't get a beer can underneath the Kuris chassis it was so low to the ground. I asked [Agabashian], 'What are you going to do if you have a flat tire?' He looked at me and said, 'We don't talk about that,'" Bernie laughs. (Agabashian finished 27th due to turbocharger failure.)
Bernie returned from his travels, parked his roadster under a tarp in his garage, and began building a business while raising a family. The Deuce was out of sight, out of mind: "My brother and I opened up a print shop in 1953 called Couch's Printing in Fullerton."
Like a flash the years flew by with a business to run, three children to raise, and—boom—it was time for Bernie and his brother to sell the business. "We were just getting old and Morey wanted to move to Tennessee." (Morey relocated to McKenzie, Tennessee. Oh, and Morey has had his '39 Ford since 1940; of course, it went with him. These guys don't get rid of anything!)
"That's when I began working on the roadster. Helen (Bernie's wife) [died] in 1989, and after that it was a long time before I could go into the garage and work on the car." But Bernie did and had Gil Ayala, the legendary half of custom car builders, the Ayala Brothers out of L.A., work the tin. "My roadster was the last car [Ayala] worked on before he died," Bernie recalls. He then rejoined the California Roadster Club (he was a member in the '40s) and set out to enjoy his retirement after years of hard work.
Rod & Custom Feature Car
Bernie Couch
Fullerton, California
1932 Ford roadster


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FINALLY finished A Storm of Swords. I like where this is going.Crazy epilogue
Oooh - check this out. Anyone remember the Lone Wolf choose-your-own-adventure/RPG hybrid books? The author has made them available free to read/play at the following website in about a dozen different formats.http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/Home


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A DVD & Blu-ray decrypter that removes
protections to make DVD/Blu-ray playable or
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A handy mobile assistant designed to monitor real-time task status in DVDFab 10 and receive in-time push notifications on events, updates and promos.


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Faculty and staff throughout the university provide academic advising. The goal of advising is threefold:
Regular advising means academic success. All students are expected to make use of available advising services located in the academic departments, the Advising Center, and in special advising and support programs.
Undergraduate Student Advising. Advising services for undergraduate students are described in detail in the section titled Undergraduate Education.
Advising for majors and minors is available from faculty members in each department. It is the student's responsibility to seek out a faculty member to serve as an adviser. Some departments assign advisers; others have students choose from a list. Contact the department for referral to an adviser.
Graduate Student Advising. Advising for graduate students is available from faculty members in each department. Contact the department for referral to an adviser.
San Francisco State University offers other advising services and support programs to assist students. Consult the Index in the printed version of this Bulletin or click on any of the following programs.


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BRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Top 10 players Samantha Stosur and Caroline Wozniacki were beaten Monday in first-round matches at the Brisbane International tennis tournament.
Stosur, seeded seventh, was defeated by Sofia Arvidsson 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, Arvidsson won two of four break chances in each set. She did lose her own serve three times but in general had a solid service game, winning two-thirds of the points on serve.
Ksenia Pervak outlasted Wozniacki, the No. 8 seed, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) in a match that took 2 hours, 48 minutes. Pervak won just one more point (50-49) serving over the course of the match but claimed 60 percent of the points on serve in the third set.
No. 4-seeded Angelique Kerber came away with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win over Anna Tatishvili. Kerber lost her serve just once outside of the second set when she was broken three times, and finished off seven of her 19 break-point opportunities.
Fifth-seeded Sara Errani cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Olga Puchkova, winning 60 percent of the points in the match. She lost serve twice in the second set but still won 57 percent of the points.
Other first-round results included Sabine Lisicki racing past Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-4 and Alize Cornet coming back for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 decision over Bojana Bobusic. Also, qualifier Monica Puig defeated Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 6-3 and Sloane Stephens beat Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-3.


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I thought it would be cool to take a look at what shoes I've worn over the last year. Some pairs I only wore once, others pretty much daily! My least worn shoes are the Louboutins, in fact the two pairs you see here are no longer with me. My inflammatory arthritis just got too bad and I could no longer wear them without being in pain. But hey when Christian Louboutin himself says "I try to make heels as comfortable as they can be, but my priority is design, beauty, sexiness. Comfort's not my focus" you start to think maybe he's a bit of a douche bag. I still have my toffee round toe Loubies but seems like their comfort was a bit of an accident! As always the comfiest shoes by far for me are Vivienne Westwood. This year I have worn to death my gold 'animal toe courts' and black 'Bondage' boots.
It will also be known as the year I finally trashed my red 'Mary janes', after 7 or so years of wearing them in all sorts of weather a torrential down pour in Northampton finally stained the toes forever. High street brand of choice goes to Zara for really well made shoes at cheapy prices, my purple and red sandals were a bargain at ┬ú30! The big shoe trend this year has been the wedge sneaker, I still have a hilarious tale of woe on that front – I was sent a pair, for review, only to be sent a pair with a 2cm heel difference, hmmm. So failing on that front the closets I got to the sporty trend were the Y3 'Torsion' heels and the Vivienne Westwood 'Tracey trainers' who found themselves on loan for the Sneaking into Fashion exhibition.
How many pairs of new shoes did I get this year? I dread to think but two pairs which made a huge impact on my collection were the vintage VW 'Elevated platforms' and the vintage red 'Heart Buckle' stillettos – bartered for whilst running around a hospital car park trying to get reception on my Blackberry, with a iffy email account and my even iffier French! I wasn't entirely sure until they came what I had bought. Those are the highs, what about the lows? Well this year I wore a fair few pairs of flat shoes, my trusty Chanel ballet pumps took a back seat as I stomped around in Air Step furry boots, VW 'Roman 3-Strap' sandals, VW 'Pirate boots' and even a pair of Keds.
What other shoes are memorable this year? Well I can't go without mentioning my burnt gold LK Bennett pointy stilettos. A serious bargain from TK Maxx these saw me through February's London Fashion Week and many more occasions. The brand itself being thrown into the limlight thanks to mega fan Kate Middleton and I can see why she relies on them for style and comfort. I am not sure I could truly call a favourite pair but if I had to I would say the red VW┬á 'Animal toe Mules' take a top seat. Why? I really have no idea, they are a funny looking shoe and for years I hated the style. I wouldn't even have tried them on if not for me being at a private sale type thing and they were there in my size. I originally wanted the regular court shoe (and still do) but figured I might as well give them a try. I did and I fell in love with them. The only pair of red 'Animal toe courts' they had left were in a size up, so I took them home for my mum – and yes I have tried stuffing them with insoles and parading around the house in them, and no I can't get away with it ha ha! But they are definitely on my 'save up for' list.
There you have it, a year in shoes. Up next a year of my favourite outfits.


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Gibson Girl black-and-blue decorated plates were made in the early 1900s. The "Gibson Girl" image was drawn by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944) to represent the peak of female beauty in the 20th century and was immediately a favorite with the public. Twenty-four different 10 1/2-inch plates were made by the Royal Doulton pottery at Lambeth, England. These pictured scenes from the book A Widow and Her Friends by Charles Dana Gibson. Another set of twelve 9-inch plates featuring pictures of the heads of Gibson Girls had all-blue decoration. Many other items also pictured the famous Gibson Girl.
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Petting zoo a warm and fuzzy fun start to Lincoln Public Library's
summer reading program
Send a link to a friend
[June 14, 2014]
LINCOLN - If you didn't see any kids in
your neighborhood Thursday morning, chances are they were all at the
Lincoln Public Library's first summer reading program event.
Kevin Richhart brought Richhart's Mobile Zoo to the west lawn of
the Carnegie Building, and that brought a huge crowd of kids and
their families. It was hard to tell who was having the best time,
the kids or their parents.
The LPL summer reading program this year is called "Paws to Read"
and as the name implies is animal themed. The library will host
several more Thursday morning entertainment events this summer that
go along with animal themed books.
Richhart has been traveling around central Illinois with his petting
zoo for more than 15 years. He does about a dozen events each year.
His appearance annually at the Logan County Fair is always a big
hit, and his tent is always filled with kids. In addition to the
smaller animals he brought to the Lincoln Public Library, he even
has a one humped camel. "The camel is too big to bring to an event
like this," he said. He also has several kangaroos.
[to top of second column]
His mobile zoo is a tightly controlled endeavor with very
close oversight by the United States Department of Agriculture,
which requires Kevin to obtain a license to operate. His animals
are inspected at his farm once a year by the State of Illinois.
This is done by a member of the renowned University of Illinois'
veterinarian school, and Richhart has his own vet do an onsite
visit twice a year. His animals receive excellent care.
The Lincoln Public Library summer reading program is age
specific and includes appropriate reading material for pre-K
through teenagers.
Melissa Oxborrow, youth services librarian, is excited about
this year's program. The petting zoo was a spectacular kick off
for Paws to Read!
[By CURT FOX]
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Obama signs first major federal gay-rights law
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed the first major piece of federal gay rights legislation, a milestone that activists compared to the passage of 1960s civil-rights legislation empowering blacks.
The new law adds acts of violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to the list of federal hate crimes. Gay-rights activists voiced hope that the Obama administration would advance more issues, including legislation to bar workplace discrimination, allow military service and recognize same-sex marriages.
Congress passed the hate crimes protections as an unlikely amendment to this year's Defense Authorization Act. Obama, speaking at an emotional evening reception with supporters of the legislation, said that more than 12,000 hate crimes had been reported the past decade based on sexual orientation.
He spoke of President Lyndon Johnson signing protections for blacks in the 1960s and said this was an extension of that work. "We must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones but to break spirits," Obama said. "No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love."
Legislation barring firms from firing employees on the basis of their sexual orientation could win passage in the House of Representatives by year's end, gay-rights advocates said. More than half of U.S. states currently allow employers such freedom.
Obama has promised to push Congress to repeal the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy that prohibits being openly gay while serving. A Senate panel is expected to hold a hearing on that issue next month, and legislation could be debated next year.
Gay-rights activists also hope for repeal next year of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which would give federal legitimacy to gay marriages recorded in states that allow them.
The amendment signed into law Wednesday was named partly for Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who died after a 1998 beating targeting him because he was gay, and whose parents were instrumental in leading the fight for such legislation. The law also was named for James Byrd Jr., a black Texas man dragged to his death in a racially motivated killing the same year.
The measure also extends protections to those attacked because of their gender or disability.
Federal hate crimes law already covers race, religion and national origin. The new law strengthened it substantially however, by removing a requirement that a victim must have been participating at the time of the assault in some federally protected activity, such as voting, for it to apply.
Matthew Shepard's parents joined Obama for the bill signing, as did the family of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, who until his death in August was deeply involved in pushing the legislation.
The Shepards' fight took a decade. With recent elections adding more lawmakers who are supportive of gay rights, by 2007 the Congress had sufficient votes to pass the legislation, but then-President Bush indicated that he'd veto it.
Obama, campaigning last year, promised to sign it.
Judy Shepard issued a statement saying that she and her husband, Dennis, "are incredibly grateful to Congress and the president for taking this step forward on behalf of hate crime victims and their families, especially given the continuing attacks on people simply for living their lives openly and honestly."
She also called on Americans to look beyond legislation and work in their own lives to advance acceptance of gays.
Critics of the legislation, including several Republican congressional leaders, argued that an attack against another person is an attack, regardless of motivation and that no special categories are appropriate.
Many also voiced concerns about "thought police" and fears that the new legal protections could curb free speech if those who oppose gay rights fear they could somehow be prosecuted for publicly voicing their thoughts. The law punishes acts, however, not thoughts.
Gay-rights advocates said that the legislation will enable the Justice Department to step in when states can't or won't, and will make extra federal money and resources available to local law enforcement officials who need help preventing or prosecuting such attacks.
They also predicted that it would affect American society in a meaningful way.
"It sends a number of messages across America: that hate will not be tolerated, that this Congress and administration value all Americans," said Joe Solmonese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay-rights advocacy group.
Malcolm Lazin, the founder of another advocacy group, Equality Forum, said the legislative progress comes at a time when reported violence against gays is on the rise. Last year, he said, 29 gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender Americans were killed because of their sexual orientation.
"This is really the first federal gay rights bill," Lazin said. "So it is a literally historic moment. This is America acknowledging homophobia as a social problem."
Lazin, who helped organize a demonstration outside the White House on Wednesday calling for more protections, said the legislation "really is the beginning of a process of addressing homophobia in our schools, our communities, our culture. We learned from the black civil rights movement: In 1964, there was the Civil Rights Act, but that didn't mean it ended violence or created equality. It was the beginning of a process that's ongoing. That's how we view the Matthew Shepard Act."
More family values: ex-S.C. GOP official caught with stripper in cemetery
Moderate Democrats cool to government-run health plan
Oversight panel: Government was slow on H1N1 threat
Check out McClatchy's expanded politics coverage at Planet Washington


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For the third year in a row, the national anthem at the Super Bowl will be sung by an "American Idol" alum.
Carrie will sing the National Anthem prior to Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on February 7, the NFL and CBS announced on Thursday.
In addition, Queen Latifah will perform "America The Beautiful" before the game.
Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks performed the anthem the past two years.
Other stars who have recently sung the song before the big game include Billy Joel, Beyonce, the Dixie Chicks, Mariah Carey and Faith Hill.
Meanwhile, Queen Latifah becomes just the sixth act to sing "American The Beautiful" on the Super Bowl stage, joining previous performers Faith Hill, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige & Marc Anthony, Ray Charlies and Vicki Carr.
As previously announced, The Who will perform at halftime, when the New Orleans Saints take on the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Behind The Scenes: Access At Super Bowl XLIII
PLAY IT NOW: CMA Awards 2009: Carrie Underwood - 'It's Such A Special Night'
PLAY IT NOW: The 'American Idol Experience': Carrie Underwood, David Cook & Fantasia
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Carrie Underwood - Queen Latifah - Super Bowl - Music - TV One


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Sunday, September 12, 2010
Grated Radish Salad
Am I the only person who didn't realize that you can grate radishes? I wish I'd thought of this earlier this summer: grated radishes + avocado + salt and pepper + rice or white wine vinegar. Yum.
2 comments:
- carmen said...
I love radishes! This little salad looks amazing.
- September 12, 2010 at 5:05 PM
- Monet said...
I have never thought to do this either...and I just bought a box grater the other day (can you believe I lasted this long without one?) Thank you so much for sharing this delightful little salad with us!
- September 12, 2010 at 9:59 PM
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How to Save Documents in Windows 8 Programs
Thanks to Microsoft snapping leather whips, a Save command appears in every Windows 8 program, no matter what programmer wrote it. Saving means to send the work you've just created to a hard drive, flash drive, or disc for safekeeping.
Unless you specifically save your work, your computer thinks that you've just been fiddling around for the past four hours. You must specifically tell the computer to save your work before it will safely store it.
Here are a few ways to save a file:
Click File on the top menu, choose Save, and save your document in your Documents folder or to your desktop for easy retrieval later. (Pressing the Alt key, followed by the letter F and the letter S does the same thing.)
Click the Save icon.
Hold down Ctrl and press S. (S stands for Save.)
If you're saving something for the first time, Windows 8 asks you to think up a name for your document. Type something descriptive using only letters, numbers, and spaces between the words. (If you try to use one of the illegal characters, the Windows Police step in, politely requesting that you use a different name.)
Choose descriptive filenames for your work. Windows 8 gives you 255 characters to work with. A file named Report on June 2012 Squeegee Sales is easier to locate than one named Stuff.
You can save files to any folder, CD, DVD, or even a flash drive. But files are much easier to find down the road when they stay in one of Windows' four main libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures, or Videos. (Those four libraries are listed on the left of every folder.)
Most programs can save files directly to a CD or DVD. Choose Save from the File menu and choose your preferred drive from the right-pane's Computer section. Put a disc (preferably one that's not already filled) into your disc-writing drive to start the process.
If you're working on something important (and most things are), click the program's Save command every few minutes. Or use the Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut. (While holding down the Ctrl key, press the S key.) Programs make you choose a name and location for a file when you first save it; subsequent saves are much speedier.
For more information about Windows 8 and its features, explore Windows 8 For Dummies, available online.