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Andrew Wyeth (1917-present) is an American Contemporary Realist Painter who works mainly in watercolor and/or egg tempera. He is one of the USA's most popular and celebrated artists. This site provides an introduction to Andrew Wyeth and links to official websites, past exhibitions in museums and art galleries, books about the artist and his work and where you can find images online.I've had this 'in draft' for some time but visiting the Hammerschoi exhibition recently (Vilhelm Hammershøi - a curious mix of Vermeer, Hopper and Wyeth?) prompted me to progress it to a state where it can be published.
An Introduction to Andrew Wyeth (1917 - present)
Book cover of Andrew Wyeth: Master Drawings from the Artist's Collection
by Henry Adams, Andrew Wyeth
At the moment the site is a collection of links I've assembled so that I can find out more about him.
If you also want to try and find out some more yourself then you just need to click on a link to go straight to that topic
- The Life of Andrew Wyeth
- Andrew Wyeth - article on Wikipedia
- The Official Andrew Wyeth website
- Frank E. Fowler Representing Andrew Wyeth
- Andrew Wyeth - Awards
- BOOKS: By Andrew Wyeth
- Andrew Wyeth - exhibitions
- BOOKS: About Andrew Wyeth
- Reviews of Andrew Wyeth
- Andrew Wyeth in Online Galleries
- PHOTOS: Andrew Wyeth
- Andrew Wyeth in Museums and Art Galleries
- Egg Tempera - Resources for Artists
- VIDEOS: Andrew Wyeth
- VIDEOS: About Andrew Wyeth
- Andrew Wyeth - available paintings
- Comments and Suggestions
Also I've found lots of lovely books about him - but I never see any books about him in bookshops in the UK and am therefore very reliant on book reviews before knowing what to look at. I've included the publisher synopsis in the site and I think I'm leaning towards Memory and Magic.
Does anybody have a book about Wyeth or read one that they can recommend?
- a retrospective of Wyeth's works
Nevertheless, having seen his paintings 'up close and personal' at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland Maine, I know I'm a fan and I can say why that is. The reasons I like his work are as follows
- In a world where oil paintings rule the roost, he's one of a very few painters who have mastered media which others disdain or find too difficult (ie watercolour and egg tempera)
- Wyeth works in a calligraphic way - painting as if he's drawing at times - plus he scrapes out and lifts off. It's as much about what's removed as it is about what is laid down - and that always has resonance with me
- He also works with a very simple, some would say austere, palette but finds ways of making it work and making it relevant. I'm very into colour and I'm always intrigued by people who can work with so little colour.
- Complexity is simplified - his objects and shapes in his paintings are pared down - while simple flat surfaces are far from simple or flat
- His compositions are often brilliantly simple - ie brilliant in their simplicity and ability to draw you in. Partly this is because, in my opinion, he's an absolute master of tonal values. Maybe that comes from working in watercolour?
- Some paintings have a back story told in a symbolic way but this is the area which I know very little about.
The woman crawling through the tawny grass was the artist's neighbor in Maine, who, crippled by polio, "was limited physically but by no means spiritually." Wyeth further explained, "The challenge to me was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless." He recorded the arid landscape, rural house, and shacks with great detail, painting minute blades of grass, individual strands of hair, and nuances of light and shadow. In this style of painting, known as magic realism, everyday scenes are imbued with poetic mystery.
MOMA caption to Christina's World
- Museum Syndicate - Master Bedroom 1965 by Andrew Wyeth
- Museum Syndicate - Groundhog Day 1959 by Andrew Wyeth
- Museum Syndicate - Trodden Weed 1951 by Andrew Wyeth
To many his accessible paintings evoke some mythical rural past, striking a powerful chord in the American psyche. Like Dürer, whom he greatly admired, he placed great emphasis on observation, and his detailed style reflects this. Nevertheless, through the series of pencil and watercolour studies for a work, many details were often pared away.Great American Artists - Resources for Art Lovers
MOMA - Andrew Wyeth - About the Artist
For those who like American artists, I've also realised that I've now developed enough sites to make it worthwhile having a group dedicated to them! So - if you're interested - why not take a peek at Great American Artists - Resources for Art Lovers. It's split into two groups:
- Artists of the Past (John Singer Sargent, James McNeil Whistler, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe) and
- Artists of the Present (Chuck Close and Andrew Wyeth)
- Andrew Wyeth - Resources for Art Lovers
- Great American Artists - Resources for Art Lovers
- Making A Mark on Squidoo - contains information about various artists


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Trump's Security Strategy: Its Messages for Turkey
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 709, January 7, 2018
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: US President Donald Trump's recently unveiled National Security Strategy paper does not specifically mention Turkey. Some Turks think this is good, as any mention would likely have been negative. But some think it is bad for Turkish interests because the absence of a mention highlights Turkey's diminishing political clout in its region. Regardless, the strategy paper has messages for Ankara on several wavelengths.
US President Donald Trump's National Security Strategy could not have come at a worse time for US-Turkey relations. Major policy and ideological divergences between the Trump administration and Turkey's increasingly Islamist strongman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have downgraded the once staunch alliance into a theoretical, transactional partnership.
Trump's whitepaper came against a tense background of US-Turkish disputes:
- In May, supporters of Erdoğan, including his security detail and several armed individuals, violently charged a group of peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington, injuring 11, including a police officer, and prompting the State Department to condemn the attack as an assault on free speech. Washington warned Turkey that the action would not be tolerated. A group of Republican lawmakers called the episode an "affront to the United States."
- In October, the US and Turkey suspended all non-immigrant visa services for travel between the two countries after the arrest of a US consulate employee in Istanbul.
- In November, Reza Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian gold trader who is cooperating with US prosecutors, told jurors in a New York federal court that Erdoğan authorized a transaction in a scheme to help Iran evade US sanctions. Erdoğan called the court a "US plot against Turkey and [his] government."
- In early December, Turkish and Russian officials announced that they were only weeks away from penning a deal for the acquisition and deployment of Russian S-400 air and anti-missile systems on Turkish soil. This will make Turkey the only NATO member state deploying the S-400 system.
- Press reports said on December 6 that an arrest warrant had been requested through the Ankara chief prosecutor's office for Brett MacGurk, US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State. The petition accuses McGurk of attempting to overthrow the Turkish government and change the constitutional order of the Turkish Republic by "acting in concert with … armed terrorist organizations."
- On December 13, US national security adviser HR McMaster condemned Qatar and Turkey for taking on a "new role" as the main sponsors and sources of funding for extremist Islamist ideology that targets western interests.
- On December 14, Turkish police summoned an FBI official stationed in Turkey in connection with testimony in the Iran sanctions (Zarrab) case.
- On December 17, Erdoğan slammed a US-backed Syrian Kurdish militant group and said he will clear his country's border with Syria of "terrorists." The "terrorists" he was referring to are the principal land warfare assets of the US military campaign against radical jihadists in Syria and Iraq. Erdoğan slams the US administration almost daily for "giving weapons to a terror organization" and has declared US policy to be in violation of the NATO treaty. Ironically, Erdoğan remains mute about Russian support for the same militant Kurdish group. Russia does not even categorize as terrorist the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which both Ankara and Washington view as terrorist. (PKK's violent campaign since 1984 has claimed more than 40,000 lives in Turkey.)
- On December 21, Erdoğan, spearheading an international campaign to condemn Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, said that the US cannot buy the people's will, a reference to Trump's threats to cut funding to countries that vote against Washington on a motion at the UN. "They call the US the cradle of democracy. The cradle of democracy is seeking to buy a nation's will with dollars," Erdoğan said. "Mr. Trump, you cannot buy our will. I am calling on the whole world: Do not sell your struggle for democracy for a few dollars."
Trump's National Security Strategy does not specifically mention Turkey, but it does contain messages for Ankara on several wavelengths.
The Trump paper says: "Russia aims to weaken US influence in the world and divide us from our allies and partners. Russia views the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) as threats. Russia is investing in new military capabilities, including nuclear systems that remain the most significant existential threat to the United States, and in destabilizing cyber capabilities. Through modernized forms of subversive tactics, Russia interferes in the domestic political affairs of countries around the world. The combination of Russian ambition and growing military capabilities creates an unstable frontier in Eurasia, where the risk of conflict due to Russian miscalculation is growing. The scourge of the world today is a small group of rogue regimes that violate all principles of free and civilized states. The Iranian regime sponsors terrorism around the world. It is developing more capable ballistic missiles and has the potential to resume its work on nuclear weapons that could threaten the United States and our partners."
Turkey is: Not only spending $2 billion to deploy a standalone, Russian-made air defense architecture, but is also cultivating its alliance with Russia and Iran in Syria, fearing what it views as its biggest security threat: Syria's Kurdish groups, which have allied with Washington.
The Trump paper says: "We will continue to champion American values and offer encouragement to those struggling for human dignity in their societies. There can be no moral equivalency between nations that uphold the rule of law, empower women, and respect individual rights and those that brutalize and suppress their people. Through our words and deeds, America demonstrates a positive alternative to political and religious despotism."
Turkey is: A fine example of political and religious despotism, as evinced by all credible indices measuring democratic practice across the globe. For instance, Turkey ranks 155th on a global index of press freedoms. Turkey also ranks in the lowest brackets of gender equality indices, and opinion polls show only a third of Turks trust the rule of law in their country.
The Trump paper says: "Today, the threats from jihadist terrorist organizations and the threat from Iran are creating the realization that Israel is not the cause of the region's problems. States have increasingly found common interests with Israel in confronting common threats."
Turkey is: Championing the Palestinian cause, arguing that the only solution to the Arab-Israeli dispute is to push Israel back to its pre-1967 borders and recognize the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Erdoğan often calls Israel a "state of terror" and Israeli soldiers "terrorists." He is a staunch ideological supporter of violent Islamist groups like Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Trump paper says: "We will work with partners to deny the Iranian regime all paths to a nuclear weapon and neutralize Iranian malign influence."
Turkey is: Implicated, based on solid evidence, in a multibillion-dollar scheme to help Iran evade US sanctions.
The Trump paper says: "We will help partners procure interoperable missile defense and other capabilities to better defend against active missile threats."
Turkey is: Buying Russian missile defense capabilities that are not interoperable with NATO and US assets stationed on its soil.
Turkey's political goals, ambitions, and planned policy actions in the Middle East are too divergent from Trump's security vision for the region. So is Erdoğan's pro-Islamist, pro-Hamas, neo-Ottoman policy calculus. In many ways, Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign is flatly incompatible with Erdoğan's "Make Turkey Great Again" campaign.
Burak Bekdil is an Ankara-based columnist. He regularly writes for the Gatestone Institute and Defense News and is a fellow at the Middle East Forum.
BESA Center Perspectives Papers are published through the generosity of the Greg Rosshandler Family

subset: commoncrawl


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1988 // Netherlands - France // George Sluizer // September 6, 2011 // Hulu Plus
[Note: This post contains minor spoilers.]
George Sluizer's disturbing 1988 thriller is a kind of "daylight nightmare," wherein a sunny holiday trip changes into something abnormal and terrifying, all in plain view of scores of witnesses. It doesn't end there, however: The film's protagonist Rex (Gene Bervoets) spends three years thrashing about in this nightmare, where even charming little cafes and quiet country roads take on a fractured and ominous aspect. Thematically, the film zeroes in on the nature of obsession and the destabilizing character of an unresolved mystery, and in this respect it is kin to works as diverse as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Sweet Hereafter, Zodiac, and The White Ribbon. Unlike those films, which generally assume a more sociological or philosophical approach to the aforementioned themes, The Vanishing is an intensely psychological film. Sluizer approaches the story as two distinct journeys through personal conflict and catharsis. The first concerns Rex, whose anguish over his girlfriend's inexplicable disappearance demands an answer that may not be forthcoming. The second journey is that of Raymond Lemorne (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu), a sociopath in the guise of a mild-mannered chemistry teacher and family man, who feels that he must act on his homicidal impulses in order to prove something to himself or the cosmos. Eventually, the two men meet and confront one another, but they don't so much interact as ricochet off another, fatefully altering each man's ultimate destination.
The film contains just enough oddness to keep the viewer ever so slightly off-balance about what they are witnessing. Events occur which may or may not be "real," but are presented in such a way that they hint at deeper truths rustling just out of sight. Henny Vrienten's score recalls Howard Shore's early work with David Cronenberg in its reliance on synthesizers that moan and squeal with sinister import. For a film that is essentially bloodless, there is a palpable aura of unsettling sexual and physical peril lurking in nearly every crevice. The fact that Rex is carelessly misogynistic and Lemorne malevolently so subtly colors the film's events, and only adds to the viewer's sense of discomfort. Sluizer cunningly uses his performers and his frame, establishing an uneasiness that silently shrieks a symphony of warning. The much-discussed conclusion, while hardly a "twist ending," is the sort of confounding anti-resolution that adds to the film's pitiless aura of authentic mortal and moral despair.


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Abnormal is our normal
Dirt Road Designs was formed out of the love of doing something abnormal with whatever reclaimed material objects and just stuff I could find.
I am Pete Eldridge, a former General contractor of residential and commercial developments in the Branson area of Missouri. My background there and in the Royal Canadian Navy provide the backdrop and abilities to bring my ideas to life.
Dirt Road Designs offers one of a kind, truly hand made items of art and furniture for the garden, patio or that nook that is just missing something unique.
Please browse our items and if you can't find something you like but have a unique idea contact me to commission a work of art.
The Art
My art ranged from $45.00 to $4500.00 + freight so it really depends on what you are looking for and where it needs to travel.
Please browse our items in the gallery and come back often as this is what I do and new things are being created constantly.
Next Steps...
This is where you decide to get started and make that special piece of art yours.


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Academic Freedom Academic Boycotts
Anti-Academic Boycott Legislation
Example Cases
American Studies Association
California State University
Columbia University / Barnard
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
University of California, Los Angeles
AMCHA complaint triggers improper investigation of professor
Groups seek to defund Middle East Studies program
Steven Salaita - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
FAQ: Academic Freedom
FAQ: Academic Boycotts
Educational organizations in the U.S. are increasingly embracing the academic boycott as a tactic to peacefully pressure Israel to comply with international law, and to influence public opinion in favor of respecting the human rights of Palestinian students and professors. As the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction (BDS) Israel grows, Israel advocacy groups, are scrambling to undermine it, including through threatening meritless lawsuits aimed at hampering and intimidating academics from advocating for Palestinian rights.
1. Could my academic association be sued for violating its corporate charter if it endorses an academic boycott resolution?
An ultra vires suit brought against academic association for endorsing BDS would likely be thrown out by the court. That's because the ultra vires doctrine "encompasses only corporate actions that are expressly prohibited by statute or by-law." Columbia Hosp. for Women Found., Inc. v. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd., 15 F.Supp.2d 1, 7 (D.D.C.1997), aff'd, 333 U.S.App.D.C. 46, 159 F.3d 636 (1998) (emphasis added).
Does your academic association have language in its charter or bylaws expressly forbidding boycotts? Is there language expressly forbidding your association from taking a principled stance on human rights issues? If the answer is no, your academic association is not prohibited from endorsing BDS under the ultra vires doctrine as Israel advocates maintain. (As explained [below/above], boycotts to effect political, economic or social change are protected First Amendment activity, and thus is not prohibited by law.)
2. But I recently read a blog by a law professor stating that "courts in D.C." have used the ultra vires doctrine against educational non-profits "in several cases."
The blog cites two cases, both brought against sororities which took actions expressly forbidden by their bylaws.
In Compton v. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first case cited in the article, a sorority stripped its members of their membership without following the procedure explicitly adopted in their by-laws for removing members.
In the second case, Daley v. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., 26 A.3d 723, 731 (D.C. Ct. App. 2011), members sued their sorority and twenty-four present and past members of the "directorate" for making several large payments to the president in violation of the rules and procedures set forth in the sorority's constitution and bylaws.
The blog gets the law wrong. The article cites two cases to support its proposition that because academic association's charters generally contain language relating to education and research, and not boycotts, a member could sue under the ultra vires doctrine to enjoin boycotts and may even get money damages.
The two cases cited in a recent article to support the proposition that the AAA could be sued under the ultra vires doctrine if it voted to endorse the academic boycott involved facts
In the cases cited by Kontorovich in his article, Compton v. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., 64 F. Supp. 3d 1, 19 (D. D.C. 2014) and Daley v. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., 26 A.3d 723, 731 (D.C. Ct. App. 2011) (collectively, the "AKA cases"), the plaintiffs sued on the basis of breach of contract and ultra vires when the sorority stripped the members of their membership without following the procedure explicitly adopted in their by-laws for removing members. These cases, including Columbia Hospital, which is the preeminent case in the D.C. District on this issue, are factually distinct from any potential claim against an academic association. In Columbia Hospital, in fact, the court found that the claim, which involved an officer of a hospital binding the hospital to a loan from a bank without proper authorization, including in violation of the procedures laid out in the hospital's by-laws, was not governed by the law of ultra vires but rather the laws of agency. Id. In the AKA cases, a claim based on ultra vires survived summary judgment based on the assertion that the acts were explicitly in violation of the bylaws of the organization. In contrast, the academic associations contemplating boycotts are usually phrased so generally as to the purpose of the organization, that one would be hard pressed to find an explicit prohibition of an endorsement of the boycott in them.
I. Ultra vires as it may apply to the American Anthropological Association
A review of AAA's bylaws does not show any clear prohibition on public statements, endorsements of boycotts, or any other indication that a boycott resolution would be considered to by expressly prohibited by them. Additionally, as to whether or not a boycott resolution is prohibited by statute, other research done regarding the ASA shows that it clearly is not. Therefore there is no colorable claim based on the AAA's bylaws that an endorsement of boycott would be expressly prohibited by them, which is the standard set for ultra vires claims in Columbia Hospital.
II. Additional Considerations
As in any claim, a person who sought to bring a claim of ultra vires against the AAA, in addition to needing to satisfy the criteria in D.C. Code §29-403.04, would also have to establish standing. This includes establishing actual injury, as affirmed in the AKA cases. Standing for these claims is more fully addressed in Bekah Wolf's Pal Legal memo re: the ASA from 2014, (incorporated in the BDS memo of Sept. 2015) and the issues are essentially the same here. It seems a stretch to be able to establish actual injury, particularly from boycott resolutions that are non-binding, though we would likely want to avoid making those arguments for political reasons.
Additionally, every statute restricting the application of ultra vires, including D.C.'s, New York's, and Maine's, the only relief available is injunctive. Therefore any claim of liability for damages is highly questionable.
Finally, while it does not appear to be the case in D.C., in some jurisdictions ultra vires may be restricted to use only as an affirmative defense. This may need additional research, particularly if we're looking at associations incorporated in jurisdictions other than Washington D.C. or New York.
3. Do academic boycott resolutions constitute national origin discrimination? No.
Academic boycott resolutions such as those passed by the ASA, AAA [linked to others] do not constitute national origin discrimination – despite what some Israel advocacy groups argue.
The academic boycott does not target individuals based on their Israeli nationality; it targets Israeli institutions because of their ties to state policy, or corporations for their complicity in human rights violations. The individuals who could be affected by academic boycotts, for example, are those who directly represent Israeli state institutions in an official capacity. So for example, [who would be affected?]
To be especially clear: Israeli academics are not subject to boycott if they are not explicitly representing Israeli institutions. According to the Palestinian Boycott Committee, the coordinating body of Palestinian civil society who has called for the boycott, "Mere institutional affiliation to the Israeli academy is therefore not a sufficient condition for applying the boycott." For example, the American Studies Association (ASA), whose membership voted to endorse the academic boycott, invited Israeli academics to speak at its conference in November 2014.
4. Are boycott or divestment campaigns anti-Semitic or "religious discrimination"? No.
Detractors of BDS efforts allege that "singling out" Israeli human rights abuses amounts to anti-Semitism, that is, discrimination against Jewish people because of their religion or ethnic background. BDS does not target institutions or individuals based on their Jewish identity. Rather, In fact, proponents of boycott and divestment campaigns often express their opposition to all forms of racism, which includes anti-Semitism and anti-Arab racism.
To equate criticism of the Israeli state, or a BDS proposal targeting Israeli state institutions or corporations that aid and abet Israeli human rights abuses, with anti-Semitism is as absurd as calling criticism of Saudi Arabia anti-Muslim, Common sense makes clear the distinction between anti-Jewish bias (based on the race, ethnicity or religious identity of Jewish people as individuals or as a group) and criticism of Israeli state institutions. The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights also recognizes the distinction (See FAQ below).
5. Are boycotts "illegal" under federal anti-boycott laws? No.
You may hear the allegation that boycotts against Israeli institutions violate federal anti-boycott laws. This is an attempt to distract from the issue of Israeli human rights violations. Boycott campaigns that initiate from civil society – including an academic boycott – were not covered by what is known as the "federal anti-boycott law." That act of Congress in 1979 was a rider to legislation regulating US exports and it was intended to counter participation in the Arab League's boycott of Israel. Specifically, the anti-boycott law prohibited participation in a boycott in cooperation with a foreign country. In no way did that legislation apply to boycotts undertaken as a matter of social, political or moral conscience; nor could it, under core First Amendment principles that protect boycotts undertaken to protest foreign or domestic governmental policies or actions.
6. Do First Amendment and academic freedom protections guarantee academics the right to support boycott or divestment without retribution? Yes.
A common tactic that has been used against those who support BDS involves pressure by off-campus organizations urging university administrators to condemn BDS and punish individuals who support it. It is undisputed that the First Amendment protects individuals from disparate treatment and punishment by state actors (including public universities) due to their support for BDS. If public universities were to punish faculty or students for their support of BDS or other political expression, they would be subject to legal action for violating the First Amendment.
It is also undisputed that academic freedom rights protect individuals from adverse employment consequences due to their support for the boycott. Academic freedom rights are protected at every accredited college and university in the U.S., and the American Association of University Professors' 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. If a university were to violate enshrined academic freedom principles in response to pressure campaigns to suppress speech favorable to Palestine, it could be subject to an academic freedom lawsuit.
7. What can an individual academic do to protect against backlash?
In this context of repression of views sympathetic to Palestinians, faculty and graduate instructors who are publicly supportive of boycott and divestment, or who teach classes in Middle East studies departments, could be targeted. Some intimidation tactics we have seen include negative teaching evaluations, complaints to faculty advisors or department chairs, accusations of misuse of state funds, or public smear campaigns. Supporters of boycott and divestment initiatives may take a few precautions to protect themselves.
Consider notifying a university administrator about any pressure you get from outside groups regarding your position on BDS, and about any harassing or threatening messages you get in response to your position on BDS. Document any such messages by saving or taking screenshots of emails, social media posts, and other communications. Request to be notified immediately of any complaints made against you or the body you represent. If you have a legal concern, contact a lawyer.
8. Do boycott and divestment campaigns create a "hostile environment" on campus? No.
Israel advocacy groups routinely allege that student campaigns for divestment create a "hostile environment" for Jewish students on campus. The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has investigated and repeatedly rejected the claims made by the Brandeis Center and other Israel advocacy organizations alleging that advocacy for Palestinian rights subjects Jewish students to a hostile environment. The DOE has dismissed several claims under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act against UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, and Rutgers University. The DOE issued written letters explaining that the allegations were not actionable because the activities complained of (testimony in support of a divestment resolution, scholarly lectures, advocacy programming, mock check points, verbal disagreements about Israel and Palestine, and other similar activity) are constitutionally protected First Amendment expression. The DOE also recognized that the speech and activities alleged to be anti-Semitic were in fact based on political viewpoint, not on race, ethnicity or national origin.
You may hear accusations that boycott and divestment campaigns make Jewish students feel "uncomfortable" or "unsafe." These claims rely on the conflation of criticism of Israel with criticism of Judaism, and presuppose the close identification of all Jewish people with the state of Israel. In fact, many Jewish students support BDS campaigns and are critical of Israel. Criticism of the state policies of any government, no matter how sharp, is not to be confused with criticism of, or bias against the dominant religions or ethnicities of that country. (See, above, FAQ #3.) Criticism of Israel does not put anyone's physical safety at risk, even if it puts his or her political beliefs in question.
Furthermore, the DOE has made it clear that it is not the responsibility of campus authorities to protect students from political speech they find to be offensive or hurtful to their own beliefs. In each dismissal, the DOE wrote, "In the university environment, exposure to such robust and discordant expressions, even when personally offensive and hurtful, is a circumstance that a reasonable student in higher education may experience."
9. Are there any legal considerations specific to divestment?
Divestment resolutions must respect what's called fiduciary duty, which is the duty of trustees or managers of a fund to manage assets entrusted to them for the benefit of the assets' owners and the intended beneficiaries of the fund. Unless divestment would deprive a fund of any possibility of investing in a broad universe of otherwise suitable investment alternatives, it is not a breach of this fiduciary duty to divest for human rights reasons. When making investment and divestment decisions, trust fund managers may consider reasons related to human rights in addition to considering profit, loss, and risk factors. Federal regulations, in fact, allow divestment based on socially responsible investing (SRI) criteria where alternative investments of equal value to the properties to be divested are available. There is also a good argument that fiduciaries are obligated to divest from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation because, due to increasing political pressure, such companies may be financially risky investments.
A divestment resolution does not disturb trustees' fiduciary duty and discretion as long as: (1) there are alternative investments of equal value available to replace divested properties, as determined by fund trustees; and, (2) the resolution does not dictate to fund trustees when or how to divest or identify the specific replacement(s) for divested assets. Most divestment resolutions are naturally confined within these guidelines, given that the bodies recommending divestment do not have the power to dictate to the fiduciaries whether and how to divest its funds.
10. Regarding union BDS campaigns, does a BDS initiative take away from the union's primary function? No.
Social justice unions can and do regularly engage their members in political solidarity with workers in other parts of the world. In this sense, political discussions around BDS is part of the core function of a social justice union. But a BDS resolution does not limit or affect the representative functions of the union, including which grievances the union pursues and the union's position on tenure disputes, etc.
##11. Would a boycott or divestment resolution violate the New York State Human Rights Law? No.
This accusation arose when Shurat HaDin / Israel Law Center and others threatened to sue the American Studies Association (ASA) for its resolution in support of academic boycotts under the New York Human Rights Law, which prohibits boycotts in some circumstances. The constitutionality of that statute is questionable, but the bottom line is that the ASA boycott would not be prohibited under the New York law because the law specifically exempts a boycott to "protest unlawful discriminatory practices." This would clearly exempt the ASA resolution, and similar boycotts in response to the call from Palestinian civil society, which are entirely designed to protest discriminatory practices of the Israeli government.
##12. Does a boycott against Israel violate the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination? No.
Cynically, Shurat HaDin has also cited the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) as a supposed rationale for its legal threat against entities supporting boycott. A broad range of Israeli human rights advocacy groups, along with international tribunals, have accused their government of gross violations of ICERD, and it is exactly those violations that the proponents of boycotts aim to protest. As discussed above, the academic boycott is not discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin – but a political protest targeting Israeli institutions towards the goal of ending discriminatory state policy.
##13. Does a non-profit organization or academic association risk its tax-exempt status by supporting a boycott? No.
A non-profit organization that endorses a boycott remains fully compliant with IRS requirements for tax-exempt status. First, a nonprofit organization does not compromise its fundamental educational (and tax-exempt qualifying) purpose just because it expresses a political position on a controversial issue. Second, with respect to an academic boycott for the purposes of human rights accountability, even if it raises controversial issues related to academic freedom, is fundamentally an educational activity, consistent with an academic association's tax-exempt educational purpose. Third, the boycott is in line with U.S. public policy against racial discrimination in education. The boycott challenges the complicity of Israeli state educational institutions in actions that discriminate against Palestinians. Statements by tax-exempt organizations in support of BDS no more undermine tax-exempt status than statements issued by tax-exempt organizations in the 1980s and 1990s explaining why they had decided to boycott or divest from South Africa.
##14. Why are we seeing so many legal threats? There is a concerted and growing national campaign to repress Palestinian human rights activism through legal intimidation.
The legal arguments that opponents of BDS are making aim to distract and deflect the conversation away from Israeli human rights violations and the rights of the Palestinian people, and to intimidate those advocating for justice. Legal bullying has escalated in the United States as the movement for Palestinian rights has grown and as pro-Israel groups attempt to shift the focus to how criticism of Israeli policy impacts those who identify with and support Israel's policies against Palestinians. Palestine Solidarity Legal Support was formed in response to this escalating repression. The majority of more than 340 repression incidents and requests for legal assistance that PSLS has documented since we launched in 2013 have targeted academic discussion or political activity occurring on college campuses where Palestinian rights activism is focused.
##15. Who are some of the legal organizations making threats against BDS campaigns?
In January 2014, the American Studies Association was threatened with a lawsuit by Shurat HaDin / Israel Law Center which calls itself a "civil rights organization" but regularly uses litigation to harass groups worldwide that criticize Israel's occupation and/or endorse boycott and divestment campaigns against corporations and institutions that support the occupation and other discriminatory policies.
This activity has coincided with declarations of concern by Israeli government bodies and closely affiliated institutions that boycott and divestment campaigns constitute a serious challenge to Israel's standing in world public opinion. It is therefore not surprising that according to U.S. diplomatic cables disclosed by Wikileaks, Shurat HaDin director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner bragged to Tel Aviv embassy staff in 2007 that the organization "took direction … on which cases to pursue" and "receives evidence" from Israel's Mossad intelligence agency and the country's National Security Council. In essence, it seems, Shurat HaDin adopts the more aggressive, legally dubious litigation strategies that the Israeli government, concerned with its respectability cannot pursue itself.
In November 2014, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) made baseless legal threats to intimidate the University of California graduate student union - Local 2865. The ACLJ threatened that support for Local 2865's BDS vote would subject members to "individual liability." The ACLJ held itself out to be a civil rights organization opposed to discrimination, but in fact, it is dedicated to anti-gay, anti-abortion and anti-Muslim causes. ACLJ is the legal arm of Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, Inc., founded by the Southern Baptist minister Pat Robertson in 1990. Since that time, opposing same-sex marriage, outlawing abortion, and evangelizing an anti-homosexual agenda in Africa have dominated ACLJ's docket. ACLJ was on the frontlines protesting the plans for the Park 51 Islamic Community Center in New York City, arguing in a lawsuit that building it would be "deeply offensive to many Americans."
##16. What support is available to those who face legal threats? If you have a specific concern about potential backlash against you, you may contact Palestine Solidarity Legal Support directly.
##17. Is a boycott like the academic boycott protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution? Yes.
Boycotts have long played a significant role in U.S. history, and the Supreme Court has held that political and human rights boycotts are protected under the First Amendment. In the landmark civil rights case NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co., a local branch of the NAACP boycotted white merchants in Claiborne County, Mississippi to pressure elected officials to adopt racial justice measures. The merchants fought back, suing NAACP for interference with business. Ultimately, the Supreme Court found that "the boycott clearly involved constitutionally protected activity" through which the NAACP "sought to bring about political, social, and economic change." Justice Stevens concluded that the civil rights boycott constituted a political form of expression under the speech, assembly, association and petition clauses of the First Amendment.
This principle was recently applied to dismiss a lawsuit attempting to block a decision by the Olympia Food Coop to boycott Israeli goods. A court found the boycott to be protected by the First Amendment (or specifically, "free speech and petition in connection with an issue of public concern").
##18. Do academic boycott resolutions violate corporate law?
I just read an article saying that may academic association can be sued if it endorses BDS. Can they?
Anyone can be sued for anything. But a lawsuit claiming academic boycott resolutions like the ASA or the AAA's violate corporate law
likely to be thrown out for reasons discussed in detail further below. That's probably why lawsuit threats against the American Studies Association, Coca-Cola, the AFL-CIO and UAW for supporting BDS have not materialized into actual suits. But dealing with such complaints – even when completely unsupported by law or fact – can drain resources and be extremely time consuming.
Again, that doesn't mean that just because any such suit is meritless, your academic organization is immune. GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson has reportedly raised at least $20 million to counter campus BDS efforts.
Corporate charters and 'social justice'
Is my academic organization violating the law like that recent WSJ oped says? Could our boardmembers individually have to pay a lot of money?
Explain this.


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When an indie-rock band from Montreal shocks the pop-culture universe by taking home the Grammy for Album of the Year, they stick to their recipe, right? Reflektor is Arcade Fire's resounding, rousing "Wrong" — one yelled at the top of their lungs and put to a newfound dance groove with the help of LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy.
It was clear from the first synthy strut of its self-titled lead single that Win Butler, Régine Chassagne and the rest of the gang are not afraid to spike the punch this time around. And so far, critics aren't grimacing. That's probably because, at its core, Reflektors is still very much an Arcade Fire album — tackling ambitious themes of death and what comes after, what's real versus the reflection. They've ventured far beyond the neighborhoods of The Suburbs for a more worldly sound — Butler has said "Reflektor" was directly influenced by a trip to Haiti and rara music he heard there — but they haven't forgotten where they came from.
But not everyone's in love with Reflektor. Here's a roundup of what critics are saying:
It's Not Afraid To Get Sweaty
"Reflektor's sound is lush and imaginative, but never in a way that suffocates you with the fumes of its polish. It's limber and loose, as though the songs were performed live; the arrangements breathe, seethe, and sweat. As their detractors will be quick to point out, Arcade Fire's greatest crime in the past has been sometimes coming off too stately and self-serious (The Suburbs in particular had a buttoned-up quality that failed to capture the frenzied energy of their live shows), but on the first half of Reflektor they often feel like they're deflating their own sense of grandeur. It's nice to hear a band that showed up on the scene quite literally dressed for a funeral now sounding like they're having (at least a little) fun." — Pitchfork
Just Enough Of A Kick
"Reflektor is even better [than The Suburbs], for this reason: the jarring, charging union of Murphy's modern-dance acumen and post-punk sabotage with Arcade Fire's natural gallop and ease with Caribbean rhythm. (Chassagne is of Haitian descent; she and Butler have been active in relief efforts there.) Murphy worked on all but two songs, with most of those tracks near or over six minutes long. The result is an epic made for dancing and sequenced like whiplash. " — David Fricke, Rolling Stone
The 'Inception' Of Albums?
"Arcade Fire have never been broken. Their creative three-year lapses between albums have rewarded them a flawless resume that few (if any) of their contemporaries can print out. No doubt the band recognizes this rare power, as they've proven recently with their masterful promotional campaign behind Reflektor — from online viral marketing to guerilla citywide promotions to intimate sold out gigs as The Reflektors. At this point, Win Butler is rock 'n' roll's Christopher Nolan, a hyper-literate artist who crafts reliable, intelligent, and challenging blockbuster events that sweep our minds away. With the 85-minute Reflektor, he's taken his most creative risks to date and at the cost of simply trusting what he sees, who he knows, and where he wants to go." — Michael Roffman, Consequence of Sound
But Does It Overstay Its Welcome?
"Since every track outstays its welcome by a couple of minutes it makes for a merely very, very good one instead. If the longueurs lag, the teases frustrate. 'Here Comes the Night Time' revs up into a clatter of frenetic Afro-Caribbean polyrhythms before cravenly wussing out and dropping to half-speed … There are great swaths of padding — extra choruses, digressive workouts that should flex the muscles but merely prolong closure. The price for this long-windedness is the loss of impact of what should be killer blows on an album that should be as vital as Butler's ode to music itself on Here Comes the Night Time: "a thousand horses running wild in a city on fire." — Kitty Empire, The Observer
#arcade fire#Reflektor


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I have this theory that there are two types of decisions in your life. Low-calorie decisions (LCDs) and high-calorie decisions (HCDs).
So LCDs are decisions you take on a daily basis. All the time, over and over again. Decisions as simple as what shirt you put on or what route you take to work. For these decisions, you can easily draw upon one thing: your experience which is shaped by your preferences and your values. We take them at ease because we have taken them before and we understand ourselves well enough to know what's best for us. I call them low-calorie decisions because you hardly use any brainpower or emotions (or time or effort for that sake).
On the other hand, you occasionally have to make some tough decisions, decisions that are HCDs, high-calorie decisions. Some examples that come to mind are: choosing between two weddings happening on the same weekend. Choosing between various business school offers. Breaking up with someone. Moving to a new location. I think you get the idea.
These are the decisions that require you to think, consider, debate, ponder and [insert fancy verb here]. You think and think, but no matter how much you think, you are still torn. Sometimes you go to bed feeling you know what you want, but that elusive certainty dissolves in your dreams and the next morning you feel thrown back to square one. At times you are desperate and you start talking to your friends and colleagues about it so you can pick their brain and get their perspective – what would they do if they were you? So these HCDs burn a lot of mental calories because they soak up all your brainpower, emotions, time and effort.
And while we can use our experiences and the understanding of ourselves to solve the LCDs, the HCDs can only be solved if we draw upon our inner compass. The problem with this inner compass, however, is that it doesn't always reveal itself to us upon request. Our inner compass is a system that is nurtured and maintained far away from our active consciousness. It is hidden and rather difficult to read. Sometimes you have an idea, an inkling, but it's hard to interpret clearly.
That said, I have figured out a way which helps me surface my inner compass for these high-calorie-type decisions. It's the simple act of calling my mom. Wait what? Yes! Calling my mom! Before I explain why calling your mom can help you read your inner compass, let me establish a second theory that I have. Namely that the inner compass in you often carries the answer before you actually know it – and by "you" I mean your active consciousness, your brain, your mind.
Let's say you are torn between two options. Option A and option B. You have thought about it for days, you have talked to all your friends, you did your research, but you still can't make up your mind. BUT, what happened during all this process of racking your brain is that you secretly nurtured your inner compass. While you are still agonizing in your mind, your inner compass already has the answer. You simply can't see it yet. Remember? The inner compass is this uber-nebulous thing which is super hard to read.
And this is why calling my mom comes into play. When I call my mom and I want to tell her about how I have to choose between A and B, something very funny happens. While I'm explaining to her what my options are, there is this very quiet feeling me which secretly hopes she says (for example) A over B. And when she says B, I become defensive and challenge her. But when she says A, I get this feeling that "this is what I wanted to hear." This – ladies and gentlemen – is your inner compass revealing itself to you.
It doesn't really matter if your mom says A or B, her preference regarding your decisions dilemma is actually completely irrelevant. What is relevant though is what you were secretly and quietly hoping to hear. If calling your mom about not necessarily something you'd wanna do, you can always flip a coin and then listen to how you feel about the result of the flip. Will you be ok with "heads" or did you quietly hope you had tossed "tails?" Again, that's your inner compass talking to you, so listen up!


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* When we say women we mean everyone who defines herself as a woman. Please note: Sometimes for better readability in long passages of text the term 'women' is written without a star.
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The AHT Clinical Prediction Rule Helps to Rule Out Abusive Head Trauma in Children < 3 Years Old Admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with Acute Head Injury
EBM Focus - Volume 9, Issue 49
Read the complete EBM Focus and earn CME credit.
Reference: Pediatrics 2014 Dec;134(6):e1537 (level 1 [likely reliable] evidence)
When a young child presents to the hospital with acute head trauma, physicians must carefully consider the possibility of abuse. Misdiagnosing abuse can have tragic consequences, as children returned to abusive situations may suffer additional abuse or even death. Unfortunately, several studies have found physician judgment of when to screen for child abuse to be significantly biased, especially in children presenting with acute head injury (Pediatrics 2006 Mar;117(3):722, Clin Orthop Relat Res 2007 Aug;461:219, Pediatrics 2010 Sep;126(3):408). To help physicians decide when to investigate for abuse, the Pediatric Brain Injury Research Network developed an abusive head trauma (AHT) clinical prediction rule (Pediatr Crit Care Med 2013 Feb;14(2):210), which was recently validated in 291 children < 3 years old admitted to 1 of 14 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) with acute head injury.
The study excluded all children injured in a car accident as well as those with radiologic evidence of preexisting brain malformation, disease, infection, or hypoxia-ischemia. Abusive head trauma was diagnosed by predefined criteria in 43% of children. The AHT clinical prediction rule consists of 4 variables that can be assessed at or near the time of PICU admission including: i) clinically significant respiratory compromise at scene of injury, during transport, in the emergency department, or before admission; ii) bruising involving the childs ears, neck, or torso; iii) bilateral or interhemispheric subdural hemorrhage or fluid collection; iv) and skull fracture other than isolated, unilateral, nondiastatic, linear, parietal fracture. The presence of 1 or more factors had high sensitivity, but low specificity for predicting abusive head trauma, with a positive predictive value of 55% (95% CI 48%-62%) and a negative predictive value of 93% (95% CI 85%-98%).
The performance of the AHT clinical prediction rule in this validation cohort matched or exceeded its performance in the original derivation study (Pediatr Crit Care Med 2013 Feb;14(2):210) and suggests this prediction rule may help rule out abuse in children presenting with acute head injury. The negative predictive value was not 100%, however, and a small number of children ultimately diagnosed with abusive head trauma were categorized as low risk. Furthermore, both the original derivation study and this validation study were conducted in children admitted to the PICU and the performance of this rule is as of yet untested in non-PICU populations. The AHT clinical prediction rule may help increase physician confidence when ruling out abuse, but a low risk score should not deter further investigation if abuse is suspected.
For more information, see the Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury and Concussion and mild traumatic brain injury topics in DynaMed.


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We know not everything in life happens as planned. New technologies can yield great improvements in efficiency and workflow. However, the complexity of technology can sometimes require additional assistance. American Dictation is here to help.
Within these sections you'll find a vast amount of information, resources and guides to help you with your support needs.
Elite Support
Since our inception, American Dictation has strived to provide the highest level of service to our professional clients. With each "Pro" product you purchase, you are entitled to free, unlimited technical support for as long as you own your product. You can call, toll-free, 866-408-1383 during business hours. If we can't immediately assist you, we'll be happy to set up a convenient time to help you solve any technical issue.
When you purhase a product eligible for Elite Support, you are also entitled a free installation, configuration and training session by remote access. Our safe and secure Interactive Assistance (click the tab above for more information) means you can be up and running in minutes instead of hours. Forget complicated manuals. Let us put our experience in installing thousands of products to your benefit.
Standard Support
When purchasing today's digital products, it is not uncommon to experience hiccups along the way. For many of our products, we offer Standard Support: free, telephone and e-mail support for 90 days from date of purchase.
To schedule a Standard support session, call toll-free, 866-408-1383 and we'll put you on the schedule with one of our US-based, trained technical support experts who will be happy to help you resolve your technical support issue.
If, after the first 90 days, you feel you need additional assistance, you can purchase Elite Support for only $49 per covered item. Contact American Dictation for details.
As a service to our customers, American Dictation provides the following Expert Guides to help you get more from using digital dictation and transcription equipment. Each download is a PDF file, which requires that you have Adobe Acrobat.
Guide to Digital Dictation and Transcription
Forget expensive service calls that disrupt your work and your staff. American Dictation can help you with your technical support needs quickly and easily by secure, encrypted remote access. We use the leader in remote computer management, LogMeIn Rescue.
Each remote session can only be initiated by you! We supply you with a unique, 6-digit PIN code which can only be used once.
To Get Started
First, call American Dictation at 866-408-1383 to schedule your Interactive Assistance session. Please have your order number or account name handy to confirm your Support Plan. Our staff will schedule the next mutually available time and give you helpful preparation instructions.
At your appointment, our technician will provide you with a unique, 6-digit PIN code. Enter that code below and click "Connect to Technician." When asked by your browser, choose "Run" or "Open."
System Requirements
In order to use our LogMeIn Rescue Interactive Assistance tool, your system must be one of the following:
- For Windows: Windows Vista, XP & Server 2000 (all including 64-bit); Windows 98, ME & 2000.
- For Macintosh: OS X 10.4 or later.
Today's digital dictation solutions provide you with ease and performance in large part due to the sophistication of the accompanying software. Installing these systems yourself can, at times, require a large investment of your valuable time than you expected. That's why American Dictation provides interactive, remote installation and configuration services at little or no cost. The sooner you're up and running, the sooner you can begin reaping the benefits of your purchase.
We have two basic installation packages:
Professional Products Installation
Free Professional Products InstallationWhen you purchase a professional-grade digital dictation or transcription product, you'll receive one free remote installation and configuration session. We'll go through all the choices you may have to configure your products to meet your workflow needs. It's quick, easy and designed to put you to work in minutes instead of hours!
Look for it when visiting our On-Line Store.
Consumer Products Installation
Most of our consumer-grade products are fairly easy to install. However, if you feel you need assistance to install and configure a new product purchased from American Dictation, simply call our office to arrange for a personal installation and configuration session with one of our trained technicians. Only $49, and includes 90 days of follow-up technical support.
Good for first, initial installation and configuration of included software. Re-installs and configurations of same product may result in an installation charge.
Let's admit it. Sometimes we need a little help understanding and using today's technology. We all do. Even something seemingly as simple as a voice recorder can become your new best friend once you learn how to navigate the buttons and use the software. At American Dictation, we don't intend to just sell you a product, then leave you stranded.
Personal Training
Want someone to help you one-on-one? We've got the solution for you. Experienced digital dictation and speech recognition experts can guide you from basic to advanced.
If you don't find the training program or product you need, just contact us. We'll custom tailor a training program for you and your colleagues to meet your needs and your budget.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Beginning Dictation. A 1-hour personal session to get you up and running using DNS for dictation using a headset. Learn to create a user profile, make corrections and optimize for accuracy. Includes a FREE copy of "Mastering Dragon NaturallySpeaking." Requires the purchase of DNS Pro, Legal or Medical editions. $99.
Third-Party Editing. Three special sessions to teach you to process digital voices files created by others. Begin by creating new user profiles, training DNS with a dictator's sample recording, and processing dictation. We'll teach you to make corrections and optimize vocabularies. Includes a FREE copy of "Mastering Dragon NaturallySpeaking." $199.
The following are from American Dictation Technology Labs, our testing and evaluation specialists.
Mastering Dragon NaturallySpeakingLearn everything you need to know to be more productive with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
From time-to-time, we find videos that can help our customers better understand how to get the most from their purchases.
While many of the software programs we offer include updating features, some do not. We include updates here for these products. If your product is not shown, check to see if your software provides an update feature.
You are strongly encouraged to download and read any accompanying READ ME file before installing any updaters. If you have any questions about whether an updater is applicable to your situation, please contact us first.
Olympus DSS Player Pro
DSS Player Pro Release 4 Version 4.10.3 Windows 2000/XP/Vista (9.6 mb). Updates both the Dictation and Transcription modules. Will NOT upgrade Version 3.x of the DSS Player Pro. Read Me
DSS Player Pro Release 4.10.3 Installer MSI Windows Vista/XP (52.8 mb) This download is a ZIP file, so a program to un-zip archives is necessary.
DSS Player Pro Release 3.x Update Version 2.5.0 Windows 2000/XP (5.5 mb). Updates both the Dictation and Transcription modules. Read Me
Olympus DSS Player
DSS Player V6 Update to V7 Windows 2000/XP (18.3 mb). This is a FREE upgrade module for the DSS Player V6. This upgrade supports podcast and new DS series Olympus recorders. This update is applicable to all V6 versions. Check the readme file for additional information. Read Me
DSS Player V7 Update Version 7.1.0 Windows XP/ Vista (5.3 mb). Updater brings Vista compatibility to the DSS Player. Read Me
DSS Player V7 Update to DSS Standard Windows XP/Vista (202 mb). Brings Version 7 of the DSS Player to the new DSS Player Standard. Use for either Dictation or Transcription version of the DSS Player. Very large download. Read Me
DSS Player 7.2.8 updater for Lion This update will allow DSS Player 7 for Mac to become compatible with the new Mac OS 10.7 (Lion). It will also allow the software to work with older 64 kernel Mac systems. Read Me
DSS Player for Mac (OS X) Version 7.2.6 updater Latest update for Mac OS X. Read Me
DSS Player for Mac (OS X) Version 7.2.1 Updater Macintosh OS X, Intel and PowerPC. (29 mb). Updated DSS Player for Mac to work better with Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5). Read Me
DSS Player for Mac (OS X) Version 7.10 Updater Updated Version 7 to 7.10. Improves support for the DS-5000 Barcode firmware v1.04, and fixes a few minor bugs. Read Me
DSS Player for Mac (OS X) V6 Update v6.2.1 Macintosh OS X (3.6 mb). Fixes bug when using RS25/RS27 footswitch for an extended period. Read Me
Sony Voice Editor
3.1 Updated Version Vista/XP (56.5 mb). New, long-awaited update to Sony Voice Editor. Will require that you un-install version 2 before installing. Follow the instructions carefully when installing.
Firmware Updates
Olympus DS-4000 Firmware Updater, Version 1.13 Windows 2000/XP. Read Me
Olympus DS-3300 Firmware Updater, Version 1.06 Windows 2000/XP. Read Me
Olympus DS-30/40/50 Firmware Updater, Version 3.04 Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Read Me
Olympus DS-2300 Firmware Updater, Version 1.04 Windows 2000/XP. Read Me
Olympus DS-2200 Firmware Updater, Version 1.05 Windows 2000/XP. Read Me
Philips 9850 Firmware Updater, Version 5.24 (ZIP File). Windows 2000/XP. Read Me
Speech Control 3.4.340.04 Speech Control for Philips SpeechMike
Missing a product manual? Want to see how a product works before you buy it? Below are downloadable PDF manuals for many of the products we sell in our on-line store. Click on any name to save it to your computer or view in your browser.
Olympus DS-7000 and DS-3500 Brochure Brochure on the highlights of the new Olympus DS-7000, and DS-3500 and DS-2500 digital dictation recorders.
Olympus AS-5000 Instruction Manual For the AS-5000 Transcription Kit.
Olympus DM-520 & DM-420 Instruction Manual
Olympus DS-3400 Instruction Manual
Olympus DS-5000/DS-5000iD Instruction Manual
Olympus DS-71 Instruction Manual
Olympus LS-10 Instruction Manual
Olympus LS-11 Instruction Manual
Philips 955 Conferencing Kit Instruction Manual
Philips Desktop 9850 Instruction Manual
Philips DPM-9500 Instruction Manual
Philips DPM-9600 Instruction Manual
Philips SpeechExec Transcribe/Transcribe Pro Instruction Manual (7177 & 7277 Transcription Kits)
Elite Support
If you're an Elite Support customer, call us toll-free at 866-408-1383, Monday-Friday between 8a and 6p, Eastern Time, and depending on your needs, either provide immediate assistance or schedule time with one of our senior technicians to personally address your needs.
Standard Support
For those with Standard Support plans, use the form here to submit your technical support request. One of our technicians will respond to you, many times within a few hours (only during normal business hours). If you purchased your qualifying product within the past 90 days, call our toll-free number for immediate assistance.
Note: the above support plans only apply to products purchased from American Dictation. For other items, see below. You must have your order number or account name when contacting American Dictation for support. Support does not include installation, software configurations or training. See "Installation" and "Training" in this section for more information.
If you purchased your item elsewhere…
As much as we'd like to provide technical support for everyone, we have to reserve our time for our customers. For technical assistance, we suggest you contact the company from whom you purchased your item or contact the manufacturer. Consult your owner's manual for contact information. If you cannot get your problem resolved satisfactorily through those avenues, you can request support from us, but you will be required to purchase an Elite Support plan for $49. This will not only address your current situation, but provide you with continued technical support for as long as you own that product. We reserve the right to decline to provide technical support for products we do not sell or for which we feel the manufacturer or other party may provide you more benefit. For information or to purchase an Elite Support Plan, call 866-408-1383 during business hours.
On-line Support Request Form
To request e-mail technical support, please use the form below. Please note that only purchasers of products from American Dictation (or NovusFiles) may expect a response.
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10 All New Official Stills From 'THE AVENGERS' Have Made It Online!
Inside are 10 all new stills from THE AVENGERS featuring all of the major players from the film including awesome images of Loki and Captain America, you'll know which ones when you see them!
Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in "Iron Man," "The Incredible Hulk," "Iron Man 2," "Thor," and "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Marvel's The Avengers is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemyemerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of ateam to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.
The Avengers stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson and will fly into theaters on May 4th.


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Found 7 resultsAuthor [ Title] Type Year
Filters: Author is Wang, Weile [Clear All Filters]
Decadal trends in the seasonal-cycle amplitude of terrestrial CO 2 exchange resulting from the ensemble of terrestrial biosphere models. Tellus B. 6882. 2016.
Disentangling climatic and anthropogenic controls on global terrestrial evapotranspiration trends. Environmental Research Letters. 10(9):094008.. 2015.
Ecosystem carbon storage capacity as affected by disturbance regimes: A general theoretical model. Journal of Geophysical Research. 117(G3). 2012.
Global land carbon sink response to temperature and precipitation varies with ENSO phase. Environmental Research Letters. 12(6):064007.. 2017.
Global Patterns and controls of soil organic carbon dynamics as simulated by multiple terrestrial biosphere models: current status and future directions. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. :n/a-n/a.. 2015.
Impact of large-scale climate extremes on biospheric carbon fluxes: An intercomparison based on MsTMIP data. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. 28(6):585-600.. 2014.
Toward "optimal" integration of terrestrial biosphere models. Geophysical Research Letters. 42(11):4418-4428.. 2015.


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The super sharp spitter Ramson Badbonez teams up with Bristol based DJ & producer Fingerfood for this excellent long player Hypnodic. A no holds barred showcase in dope rhymes, beats and cuts, that also features special guest spots from Leaf Dog, Res One, Joker Starr, Gadget, M.A.B, Deeflux and Jazz T. Fingerfood lets the world know just how dope a beatmaker he is, and Badbonez just slays the mic booth, as he does.
Album comes on single vinyl with a full colour sleeve, shrink wrapped for extra freshness and a dropcard containing a digital download link to the album, including bonus instrumentals.
Artist: Ramson Badbonez
Title: The Official ...
Label: Medication
Format: CD.
Category: CD.
Artist: Life Mc & ...
Title: Deep In ...
Label: Split Prophets Records
Format: LP.
Category: Vinyl.
Artist: Corners
Title: Corners
Label: Innit Records
Format: LP.
Category: Vinyl.
Artist: Dutch Mob
Title: One Percent ...
Format: 7".
Category: Vinyl.
Artist: Joker Starr
Title: Shottas
Label: Boot Records
Format: 7".
Category: Vinyl.
Artist: Gatecrasherz
Title: Uninvited
Label: Revorg Records
Format: LP.
Category: Vinyl.


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Yes, you can naturally get rid of hemorrhoids, forever.
Let me start by saying that I am NOT a doctor. I am just a guy who had 4 hemorrhoids over the course of about 6 years. I was forced to learn the hard way how to naturally get rid of my hemorrhoids. Initially I did not learn, and as a result my first 3 hemorrhoids became thrombosed. A thrombosed hemorrhoid occurs when a blood clot forms – and it hurts like hell. I'm not talking about discomfort, I mean "someone stuck a knife in my ass" pain. When I developed my 4th hemorrhoid, I decided that I was going to learn from my previous mistakes. It was obvious to me (finally) that my hemorrhoids were recurring because I was doing something wrong.
Before I continue, it is important to mention that the first step to curing hemorrhoids is to get a professional diagnosis. Because other health issues (such as polyps) can mimic the symptoms of hemorrhoids, you should see your doctor to confirm your diagnosis. If you believe you have a medical emergency, you should call 911.
What does "naturally" mean?
My definition of the word natural does not involve any voodoo or patchouli. To get rid of hemorrhoids naturally means to get rid of them without surgery. It is imperative that you take action quickly. If you wait for your hemorrhoid to become thrombosed – as I did for my first 3 – you will have passed the point of no return and you will need to have the clot surgically removed. If touching the hemorrhoid does not make you howl with pain, and if you are still able to manually push it back inside, you are still able to heal yourself naturally.
Ok, How can I get rid of my Hemorrhoids?
You are going to need some stuff. I prefer to get my stuff from Amazon.com because I can avoid buying a bunch of hemorrhoid stuff from the store. I don't mind buying wet wipes, I can pretend they are for my kids, but I'm a bit shy to buy a Sitz Bath for some reason. More important than where you get the things you need is that you get them sooner than later. The links to the right will take you to their respective product pages on Amazon.com, but if you prefer to go to your local pharmacy, just write yourself out a list of the products you will need.
Soak your butt in a Sitz Bath at least 3 times per day.
A Sitz Bath is a contraption that allows you to soak your butt in warm water. "Sitz" comes from the German verb "Sitzen" which means to sit. I don't know why we don't call them "Sit Baths" in the United States. You could simply fill up your tub with enough warm water to soak your bum, but a Sitz bath is going to be cleaner, use less water, take less time, and be overall more efficient. I used the Carex Sitz Bath because it's cheap ($11), shipped in 2 days with amazon prime, and it's the #1 rated sitz bath. Good enough for me. You need to use this thing 3 times a day minimum, more if possible. Before going to work, just after work, and just before bedtime will get you 3 soaks/day. If possible, do a soak directly after every bowel movement. The more soaks you can do per day, the faster you will get rid of your hemorrhoids. I took about 4 sitz baths per day when nursing my last 'roid, and it went away in about 2 weeks. I like to add Epsom Salt to my Sitz Baths. I use "Epsoak" from the San Francisco Bath Salt Company. It is the highest grade Epsom Salt available, at the best possible price on Amazon.com. It is the #1 rated product in Bath Salts.
Use a Hemorrhoidal Ointment, Such as Preparation H.
Preparation H has come out with what seems like 100's of products, it can be confusing to know which ones you need. I have tested nearly all of them, and I believe that you can get rid of your hemorrhoids using just 2 of their products. The original cream, and the medicated wipes. Let's start with the cream. I recommend the "original" Preparation H Hemorrhoidal Ointment. The most important time to apply the ointment is before a bowel movement. It will allow the poop to pass without causing a lot of irritation to the hemorrhoid. Feel a poop coming on? Apply some ointment, poop, Sitz Bath, apply more ointment.
Do NOT wipe with Toilet Paper!!!
The other item I strongly recommend from Preparation H is their Medicated Wipes, and their "Totables" to take with you for outside of the house. These contain Witch Hazel (an astringent) and Aloe. The Witch Hazel is soothing and reduces inflammation of the hemorrhoid. Once your hemorrhoid is fully healed you do not need to continue using these, but you should not go back to toilet paper. Make the switch to wet wipes. Wet wipes cause much less irritation than toilet paper when wiping, and do a much better job cleaning your butt.
Drink More Water and use a Fiber Supplement
Constipation and Diarrhea cause straining and irritation to the anus. If you want to get rid of hemorrhoids, you must get yourself regular. Fortunately, this is a simple task that you can knock out in about 1 minute per day. I recommend Metamucil Smooth Texture Sugar Free. I have taken a teaspoonful of metamucil every day for the last 5 years and I am as regular as a clock. Every morning I wake up, pour myself a big glass of water, stir in a big teaspoon of metamucil, and guzzle it down. Within 2-3 minutes -wham-bamalam-boom – nature calls.
How to Poop Naturally
We do not poop naturally in the United States. For millions of years, people squatted to poop. Only in the last hundred years or so did we start to sit on the toilet. Other cultures around the world still poop like nature intended – in a squatting position. I have not sat on the toilet for over 5 years. I squat every time. I have not had a hemorrhoid recur in 4 years so I must be doing something right. Sitting too much increases pressure on the veins in the anus, and can lead to hemorrhoids. If you want to get rid of hemorrhoids naturally, get a step stool, or purchase a "squatty potty" so that you can simulate a squatting position during your bowel movents.
If you have any questions, please let me know. At the top of the page, you will see a link that says "Contact." Simply go there and fill out the form, and I will get back to you ASAP. Feel better soon!


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"Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land," wrote Sassoon in Dreamers in 1917, "Drawing no dividend from time's tomorrows." The medal and his leather military identification tag are likely to be the subject of heavy bidding from admirers of the writer, who died, aged 80, in 1967.
Sassoon was awarded the MC in 1916 for "conspicuous gallantry during a raid on the enemy's trenches". His citation in the London Gazette noted that he had braved "rifle and bomb fire" and that, "owing to his courage and determination, all the killed and wounded were brought in".
But in 1917, he was said to have thrown the medal into the Mersey after the authorities declined to court-martial him for his refusal to carry out military duties .
Robert Pulvertaft, whose stepfather George was Sassoon's only son, said: "I found it while clearing out the attic of the family property on Mull. Bizarrely, it was in a treasure chest, like a pirates' chest, covered in cobwebs and long-dead insects. The ID tag was there too, along with the revolver in an old Jiffy bag and some poetry medals."
The auction will take place on June 6.


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A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight has crashed near Abbottabad with 48 passengers on board. The flight number PK 661 took off from Chitral and was en route to Islamabad and was met with an accident today Wednesday, December 7.
PIA's spokesperson in a statement said: "PIA aircraft ATR-42 (AP-BHO) crashed near Havelian at 1642 hours, 42 passengers, five crew members and one ground engineer were on board. Rescue efforts are underway, and we are ascertaining the extent of damage to life of those on board the aircraft."
Also Read: UK PM vows to look into refusal of visa for Pakistani Christian delegates
The ill-fated plane hit the ground near a small village called Saddha Batolni near Havelian, as detailed by the PIA's spokesperson. In line with a previous official statement the plane had lost contact. "We regret to inform that PIA's ATR-42 aircraft operating as PK661, carrying around 40 persons lost its contact with control tower on its way from Chitral to Islamabad a short while ago. All resources are being mobilized to locate the aircraft. Media will be kept informed as situation develops.
PIA's emergency response center has been activated and can be accessed at following phone numbers for updates:0092-21-99044890, 0092-21-99044376 and 0092-21-99044394," PIA's Public Affairs Division stated.
"The plane has crashed in a far-flung village in the mountains. One has to travel for more than four kilometres on foot to reach the spot. Villagers on site told us that the plane was first on fire and now smoke is rising from the wreckage. Police and rescue officials are on the way," Ilyas Abbasi, a police official in Havelian said.
Meanwhile, military's media wing ISPR said 36 bodies have been recovered so far, while the rescue operation continues. The dead bodies are being shifted to Ayub Medical Teaching Hospital Abbottabad, Pakistan Disaster Management Authority Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa stated.
A government official Taj Muhammad Khan, present on the scene said that the possibilities of finding survivors are almost none. "All of the bodies are burned beyond recognition. The debris is scattered." He added that witnesses told him "the aircraft has crashed in a mountainous area, and before it hit the ground it was on fire."


text: Abiquiu, NM: Robert Mirabal and Robby Romero perform a private concert at Ghost Ranch on July 3, 2016, at 7:00 PM. Ghost Ranch—made famous by painter Georgia O'Keeffe—encompasses 21,000 acres of vast vistas, table-topped mesas, tall cliffs, the Rio Chama, and more beauty around every bend in the winding road. "It is not a country of light on things," said Georgia O'Keeffe. "It is a country of things in light." The land and landscape has inspired a vast array of musicians, artists and photographers. Over 100 motion pictures have been filmed at Ghost Ranch. It is an ideal setting for the mystical tones of Romero and Mirabal. Get the Romero/Mirabal Single "Iron Horse" at the Village Market


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Cavalry SPV I, LLC is a collection agency. However, the business describes itself as a company that acquires and manages consumer loans that do not work, according to CavalryPortfolioServices.com.
Cavalry SPV I, LLC primarily tries to collect debts owed to it by filing lawsuits through one of two law firms, Nadler & Associates, PC or Lloyd & McDaniel, PLC, according to AlabamaConsumer.com. The suits are frequently filed in small claims or district court. Although the lawsuits are authentic and should not be dismissed, they can be battled in court. Cavalry SPV I, LLC says that it will work with its customers to find a manageable solution.