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Cybersecurity & Standards, European Policy, Free Expression, Government Surveillance, Open Internet, Privacy & Data
EU Tech Policy Brief: March 2017
This is the March issue of CDT's monthly EU Tech Policy Brief. It highlights some of the most pressing technology and internet policy issues under debate in Europe, the US, and internationally, and gives CDT's perspective on them.
The List-Building Has Begun: How the Tech Sector Should Respond
Many actions and announcements by the US Administration have organisations like CDT worried about the state's imminent power to deprive individuals of their rights and freedoms. Latest of concern were the comments made by Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly suggesting that DHS could require US non-citizens to provide the passwords to their social media accounts as a condition of entering the country. CDT and a long list of human rights and civil liberties organizations, trade associations, and experts in security, technology, and the law are leading a campaign against password coercion at the border, warning that these actions would constitute "a direct assault on fundamental rights." In response to these developments, CDT President & CEO Nuala O'Connor commented on the crucial role of the technology sector to reinforce policies and technologies to limit unwanted government data collection by 1) deleting data, 2) making strong technical security the default, and 3) rejecting overbroad government requests.
Copyright Reform — CULT and IMCO Publish Contrasting Draft Opinions
CDT continues to engage intensively with members of the European Parliament and Council of the EU in the ongoing discussions around the proposed Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. We have particular concerns around Article 13, which erodes the liability protections in the E-Commerce Directive; Article 11, which gives news publishers ancillary rights for online use of content; and Article 3, which proposes a much too narrow Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception. These concerns are reflected in an open letter recently presented by EU Research Centres to the European Parliament and in a new study by Dr. Christina Angelopoulos, an independent expert of intermediary liability at the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Law (CIPIL) at the University of Cambridge. The Culture and Education Committee (CULT) and the Internal Market Committee (IMCO) published their respective draft Opinions in February, which put forward rather contrasting amendments to the Commission's proposal. While the CULT draft Opinion adds complexity to and fails to address the problems that the Commission's proposal already presents, we welcome IMCO's draft Opinion as a step in the right direction towards a balanced European copyright framework.
French and German Ministers Push for EU Legislation on Encryption by October 2017
The issue of encryption has been under discussion among EU institutions and Member States for some time. A Slovak Presidency consultation of Member States did not result in consensus that EU legislative measures are warranted. Indeed, many Member States have stressed the crucial importance of encryption in enabling secure commerce and communications, as have Europol and ENISA in a recent joint statement. French and German Ministers have now written to the Commission and requested legislative action by October 2017, but the letter is short on detail on how exactly the Ministers would propose to oblige providers to facilitate access to encrypted data. The European Commission is initiating a reflection process on legal and technical aspects of the issue with the aim of putting conclusions and policy options before Home Affairs Ministers by December 2017.
LIBE Committee Weighs in on AVMSD Debate
The Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) of the European Parliament adopted its Opinion on the review of the Audio Visual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) in February. The Opinion by MEP Angelika Mlinar (Austria/ALDE) will be taken into consideration by the Culture and Education Committee (CULT) leading this debate in Parliament. We welcome LIBE's Opinion, since it highlights elements for which we advocate in this debate: the importance of protecting freedom of expression and information in the context of a fast-evolving media landscape, maintaining the liability protections in the E-Commerce Directive, and ensuring prior judicial authorisation when determining the illegality of content.
The Max Schrems-Facebook case & the review of FISA Section 702
The Max Schrems-Facebook (Schrems II) case is the latest in a line of cases in the EU involving challenges on privacy grounds to the approaches by which companies transfer the personal data of EU citizens abroad, mainly in the US. The Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) is asking the High Court to refer to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on the question of whether standard contractual clauses (SCCs) used by companies are valid as one of the methods to transfer personal data. The hearing of these proceedings commenced on February 7 and is currently ongoing, as it is estimated to take slightly longer than expected. Another surveillance programme of concern that is currently under heated debate in the US is that of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Section 702 is under review, as it expires on 31 December 2017 unless reauthorized. CDT has highlighted the need for meaningful reforms to 702 to protect privacy and civil liberties. Of particular concern in the EU is the broad scope of the authorised surveillance under 702, which means that many non-US persons who are not connected to terrorism or pose no threat to national security can nevertheless be targeted for surveillance. We hope to see more attention on this particular issue in the reform of 702, particularly in view of the "Privacy Shield" debate and maintaining the adequacy test of the EU in international data transfers.
Aligning Users' and Companies' Concept of 'Data Deletion'
The notion of 'deletion' online seems to be understood differently from user and company perspectives. With the rise of cloud computing, the meaning of deletion is further obscured, with the user's files saved somewhere in 'the cloud' until requested. Consequently, our digital files are almost never truly 'put in the recycle bin.' In a recent paper, CDT argues that companies should reconsider their approach towards deletion and "implement sound technical and policy processes to formalise their practices." This should be thoroughly considered, particularly in view of the fact that the retention of large amounts of data increases the potential damage resulting from data breaches. This only creates an overall lose-lose situation, where reputations of organisations are damaged and individuals lose trust in the organisation's security efforts.
CDT Delegation @ RightsCon 2017
This year's RightsCon Summit, convening stakeholders from across the board, will take place March 29-31 in Brussels. A sizeable CDT delegation of technology policy and communications experts from our Washington, DC office will be present and contribute to many of the debates on topics such as data localization, data portability, US surveillance and the Privacy Shield, ethics in coding, and government use of companies' Terms of Service to censor online speech. From the DC office, Emma Llansó, Greg Nojeim, Joe Jerome, Taylor Moore, and Natasha Duarte will all participate in panels at the conference, and the DC and EU teams will host a happy hour in Brussels at 18:30 on 29 March. To request more information about the event, please email Elizabeth Seeger at [email protected].


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If the iTV Viet pictureis too big or too small for your TV screen. Then do the following:
Home - Settings - Screen - Screen Position - Ok
Press up or down to change the size. Normally 95% is best.
If the picture still does not adjust to fit, then you may have to adjust using the TV remote menu settings (zoom in / out).

subset: commoncrawl


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Conquering Diabetes Challenges
Control portions, remember meds, prevent snack attacks and more.
Readers with years of experience living with diabetes share tips for overcoming everyday challenges that can wreak havoc on blood sugar control.
Diabetes challenge: restaurant binges
"If I'm eating at a restaurant, I always ask for a to-go container when they serve my meal, and I'll put away half the food before I take a single bite," says Karen Travis from Hunt Valley, MD. "It's a simple way to prevent overeating—and it saves you money, to boot!"
Expert tip: Portion control is essential for people with diabetes, says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, an endocrinologist from the Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. "Separating your food from the start is a great way to accomplish it. As many people know, stopping halfway through sometimes isn't realistic!"
Diabetes challenge: counting carbs
"I started using a carb-counting app," says Karen. "Even after 20 years of diabetes, this has been a great help in making my counts more accurate."
Expert tip: Stephanie Dunbar, MPH, RD, director of clinical affairs at the American Diabetes Association, says "technology is a great friend to people with diabetes. "For instance, you can check out a restaurant's menu before you go so you can start thinking about what healthy meals to order." Download a carb-counting app like Carbs & Cals for iPhone, or Carb Counting with Lenny for both iPhone and Android.
Diabetes challenge: remembering to take your medication
"Injections just weren't working for me, so my doctor recommended the pump," notes Karen. "If needles or the pump don't work for you, you can try the pen, too—there are options out there!"
Expert tip: "The important thing is to find the device that works for you so you can stay on top of your blood sugar," says Dr. Hatipoglu.
Diabetes challenge: sudden snack attacks
"When hunger strikes, a snack of about 10 almonds or a few pecans really fills me up and will not affect my blood sugar levels," says Kim Kircher of Crystal Mountain, WA. "I can grab them and go without having to think or worry about my numbers. Plus, they keep me full for a while so I don't overeat later!"
Expert tip: "Nuts are a great snack for people with diabetes," says Dunbar. "They are low in carbohydrates and are loaded with healthy fats to help curb your hunger."
Diabetes challenge: feeling deprived
"It's so important to find little ways to treat yourself so you don't binge, and I've discovered that dark chocolate does not affect my blood sugar as much as other sweets. So when I need a little treat, I reach for one, maybe two, squares of dark chocolate, and I never need extra insulin."
Expert tip: According to Dr. Hatipoglu, cocoa is known to contain healthy flavonoids that are anti-inflammatory. "Go for chocolate that's around 80% dark—the higher the cocoa content, the richer it is in flavonoids," he says.


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A recent article in the Journal of Marketing analyzed the success (or failure) of 750 Facebook apps in an attempt to understand how various mechanisms of social sharing impact acceptance or reach.
While a lot of ink has been given to influence (Gladwell) and seeding-strategies (Watts) this research looked at what tools marketers can deploy to facilitate sharing.
Specifically, marketers can choose to use one or more of the following tactics
- Unsolicited Messages vs. Solicited Message
- A message appears in the inbox about a new app vs. see what apps appear on a members "About" page
- "Try and get a month free" vs. just "Try it out"
- Communication among 1st degree contacts (similar to forwarding an email to a specific individual)
- Timeline posts viewed by 2nd to n-degree contacts on others vs. own timeline
The key takeaway: the techniques that garnered 100m users for FarmVille in roughly 40 days would be counter productive (and possibly detrimental) to a business-oriented apps. From the research:
The very mechanisms that made FarmVille so successful is a recipe for failure when used in a different product context. Unsolicited and incentivized broadcast messages from friends are the least effective sharing mechanisms for primarily utilitarian [business] products.You rarely see such strong language in journals.
And speaking of context, the results would theoretically be different on LinkedIN because it is by nature a business/high-utility social network. The mechanisms of how people choose, and what information cues they use, differ depending if they're looking for a job or playing Candy Crush.
So, as we design campaigns with "Share This" functionality, we need to understand what the usefulness of the app/content is as well as the distribution platform and choose our tactics accordingly.


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This week was the week of eating, eating, and eating some more! Between Hanukkah and Thanksgiving (thanksukkah), work parties and leftovers, I know my oven was being utilized daily! Throw in a late November birthday (Happy 28th birthday to my older brother, Ryan!) and fuggadeabboutit. But seriously, I've been eating way too much. That's why this recipe was created with the words refreshing, zesty, and light in mind!
This time of year, a my dad gets fresh cranberries from a friend at work. We typically use them for a fantastic cranberry sauce on our thanksgiving table, but this year I wanted to do something different. We froze them and I searched the internet for something delightful. I found this recipe for Lemon Cranberry Muffins; the way she describes the muffins are mouth-watering!
The recipe was VERY simple. I actually got all the ingredients (minus eggs, of course) in a container earlier in the day to pop them in the oven during our thanksgiving dinner. That's right, the pot luck was AFTER gorging ourselves on pounds of turkey and stuffing. FUN FACT about turkey; we all know its chock-full of L-tryptophan (think: the reason we're zonked on the couch approximately 20 minutes after finishing dinner) but in addition to making us tired, it has a big role in allowing our bodies to produce serotonin which makes us relaxed and regulates our mood!
Back to the good stuff!
The recipe – Lemon Cranberry Muffins (makes about 10 muffins; I suggest 2x)
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- pinch salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest (I zest-ed the entirety of a small lemon)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup oil
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix the yogurt, sugar, salt and eggs together in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Meanwhile, In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
Step 2: Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir together until moistened.
Step 3: Add oil and combine until batter is smooth. Fold in cranberries. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean.
If that picture of lemons doesn't make your mouth water, then just get out of here! Lemon is one of my favorite things to cook/bake with, its so fragrant and truly has such variability!
Happy Baking! More to come soon!


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High power glucose biofuel cells
Nature Communications
A glucose biofuel cell which offers the best performance yet is reported in a study in Nature Communications this week. The cell, created by wiring glucose oxidase and laccase enzymes in a carbon nanotube disc, may provide a way of efficiently producing energy from clean sources. Biofuel cells use enzymes to produce energy at room temperature and neutral pH, alleviating the use of fossil fuels. Previous attempts to create glucose biofuel cells have resulted in cells of poor power output that are unstable over time. Serge Cosnier and colleagues now report a biofuel cell that uses carbon nanotubes for the direct transfer of electrons from the enzyme to the electrode surface. This results in a power density of up to 1.3 milliwatts per centimetre squared and an open circuit voltage of 0.95 V which is stable for at least one month. This makes the biofuel cell the most efficient system reported so far.


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I had the good fortune to hear a luncheon talk by an HR pro by the name of Jack Smalley. Jack, who is with Express Employment Professionals, was the guest speaker at the SHRM- Atlanta year end luncheon. The basic theme of his talk was organizational change, but wrapped up in that presentation were three tips for retaining your top employees.
His first tip dealt with communication. Through the use of a couple stories Jack emphasized that communication is critical to keeping your good employees, particularly in times of stress. His story dealt with a corporate sale where the selling company kept employees in the dark. As it became apparent that something was going on, such as due diligence visitors, the key employees started leaving. They were able to get jobs so rather than dealing with the uncertainty of the sale they opted to go to a situation where they at least had some input on what was happening. By the time the sale was announced a large percentage of the better employees had jumped ship. The lesson in this is that you cannot communicate too much about what is going on. Employees do not like "mushroom management." This advice is as relevant today as it has ever been, perhaps even more so. It is critical that you retain your best and brightest and to do that they have to have the "sunshine" of communication.
A second tip that I feel had some relevance to retain you best was one that dealt with recognition. Jack advised the group to make sure you are asking your best employees their advice. No more powerful recognition to your importance to the organization than to ask a valued employee what they think… about whatever you are concerned about. You will get a perspective that you may not have had before.
The third tip I got from Smalley's presentation came when he made the statement "Re-recruit" your best employees. Recognize why they were attractive enough to recruit in the first place. Remind them of why you found them interesting. Again this kind of attention will pay dividends in retaining these valued assets.
In conclusion let me ask you HR pros out there what you would add to these tips on how to retain your best employees? What have your successfully done?
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"Like Coming Home." A Chat With Dani Hedlund, Editor of F(r)iction
Dani Hedlund is the CEO of the international literary nonprofit, Tethered by Letters, and the Editor-in-Chief of F(r)iction, a fine art and literature collection. Her short work has appeared in a variety of publications, most recently in The Sycamore Review. In her ever-elusive free time, Dani can be found working on her novel, reading Batman comics, or embarrassing herself at Battlestar Galactica Game Nights.
Interview by Sandy Ebner
Can you talk a bit about how F(r)iction got started?
Sure. Before we started F(r)iction, we published the Tethered by Letters Quarterly Journal. This collection was made up of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and although we had some very cool art, we were traditional in terms of our content.
During that publication's four-year run, some really great genre and experimental works were submitted to us that we wouldn't publish because they didn't fit that traditional aesthetic. This never sat well with us. These stories were just as powerful, just as gorgeously written, as the literary fiction we received, but because they were set in space or had really unconventional narratives and word counts, we had to reject them.
These frustrations all came to a head in the fall of 2015.
As I do at the close of every year, I sat down to read the award-winning short works published that year. These were supposed to be the best of the best, the literature that was reshaping our generation…but, honestly, I found myself rather bored after the first few.
I shared this concern with my senior editors, and we started to reevaluate what we were doing with our publication. After too many cups of coffee, we gave up on the discussion and instead starting sharing stories about why we got into the industry. We talked about those first books we discovered in small town libraries, on our parents' shelves—the stories that transported us, enchanted us.
In most cases, those stories weren't traditional. They weren't about stuffy New York dinner parties or yet another angsty relationship. They were stories with punch, with imagination, stories that took chances.
So we made the choice, right there in our local coffee shop, that we were going to do things differently. We were going to put the story first, no matter where that led us. We'd open ourselves up to all genres, all forms. We'd publish works that stayed with us in an intangible way, long after that last page is turned.
Moreover, we decided that we'd present these stories as gorgeously as we could—in full color, with amazing illustrations, with the highest quality printing—because great literature deserves it.
And that's how F(r)iction was born.
The aesthetic of the magazine is fantastic. So many magazines either have too much white space, or such a dark background that nobody can read anything. You've managed to create a mixture of both art and prose that draws the reader in, in a pretty extraordinary way.
Thank you! We work extremely hard with our Art Department to present the collection with a visual flair. The goal is always to enhance the literature, but never to overshadow it. It's a difficult balance, but we hope we're hitting it with each and every work.
Your mission statement says that, "F(r)iction is experimental. F(r)iction is strange. F(r)iction pokes the soft spots, touches nerves most would rather remain protected. F(r)iction is secrets and truths and lies." How loosely do you interpret that statement when reading submissions?
As editors and publishers, we follow that statement completely. We don't exclude any literature based on form, genre, or theme. If the story or poem is powerful, beautifully written, and lingers with us, we want to publish it.
For example, in the first year of publishing, F(r)iction has printed hard sci-fi, fantasy, absurdist, horror, humor, an epically long prose poem, and three utterly stunning graphic short stories.
That isn't to say that traditional literature doesn't find a home in our pages. We've published several stories and poems from leading literary creators in each issue. In fact, more than 50% of our work is traditional, but these stories are judged by the same criteria: Is the plot compelling? Is the narrative alive and unique? Do we read it and immediately want to tell strangers in the coffee shop about this great thing we've discovered?
If so, it's in.
After reading the Editor's Note in the current issue, you mention being particularly proud of this issue. Did everything just seem to coalesce at the right time?
I am extremely proud of F(r)iction #3. When we first decided to do this crazy thing—make a home for genre and graphic stories right next to traditional literary prose and poetry—well…it was difficult. People thought we were a little crazy.
After F(r)iction #1 and F(r)iction #2 came out—full of really great stories that push boundaries, both in form and in content—people started to turn that trepidation into total excitement. We started to get some really, really good submissions…like, insanely so. Not just from emerging writers, but from big names too. At the same time, there were some really amazing works coming up from our Free Editing Program, and we snagged this gorgeous graphic horror story. It was the first time that everything came together organically without us having a mad scramble to get all the pieces to fit—and it just, well, it felt like coming home.
I have a very distinct memory of sitting at my desk, looking at all these pitches and thinking, this is how it's supposed to be. That's when I realized that the crazy idea we concocted the year before wasn't as crazy as we'd thought.
Can you talk about your editorial and design staff, and how they work together? Do you start with a piece of writing and commission art specific to that piece afterwards?
Because the artwork is such an important part of what makes F(r)iction stand out, we strive to bring in the best artists we can get our hands on. Just like our mission with the literature in the journal, we balance celebrity artists with brand-new talent. This allows us to create a springboard for the careers of talented new artists (a long-held mission at Tethered by Letters), as well as showcase the highest possible level of artistic talent.
Every issue, we corral together our art team. When new literature is locked, our editors write up detailed artwork descriptions (summarizing the work, pointing out the most important images, dredging up the most potent themes) and then we match that story with an artist on our team. Every artist has their own style, from traditional oil paint to tattoo-inspired illustrations, so the pairing process is extremely important.
Then the commissioned artist turns in 3-6 thumbnails of possible ways to illustrate the story. My art director (the ever-talented Zach Howard) and I sit down and decide which direction is best for the piece. This is a strangely difficult stage. We need to make sure the artwork is introducing the story and tantalizing the reader, but it can never give anything away. After we decide on the thumbs, the artist takes it away. We get progress reports—making sure everything is coming together beautifully—but we spend most of our time getting excited about all the cool art flooding into our inboxes.
If the story or poem is powerful, beautifully written, and lingers with us, we want to publish it.
In your most recent issue, you published a feature on the Afghan Women's Writing Project. Doing these types of outreach efforts must be tremendously rewarding. How do you go about deciding which groups (or which people) to write about?
They are immensely rewarding. The Afghan Women's Writing Project (AWWP) is actually our oldest outreach partner, and I could not be prouder to publish the work from their program. Originally, when we first started featuring AWWP in our journals, we thought it would be a one-time thing. However, we'd underestimated the powerful effect that this type of feature would have on our readership. So often, when we sit down to read, we think of the result: the story, the words on the page. But we forget how sometimes the process of writing, of pouring oneself onto the page, is just as moving. The women in AWWP are literally risking their lives to write. They believe that telling their story is an inalienable right, for which it is worth risking everything.
As writers, editors, and readers, we forget that. We forget just how powerful the act of writing can be. To help us remember, every issue of F(r)iction has a feature from an outreach partner who helps people cope with difficult issues through storytelling. In addition to AWWP, we featured Breath & Shadow (a great organization that fosters literature from blind and deaf creators) and the Veterans Writing Project (which helps vets cope with their service experiences through storytelling).
Aside from the art that accompanies each piece of writing, F(r)iction also features a comics spread in each issue. Do you have a group of artists that you regularly use, or do you use only submitted work, or a combination of the two?
We have solicited all of the comics we've published so far. That's not to say that we aren't COMPLETELY open to people sending us graphic stories and memoirs, but it's such a strange sort of feature, we've had the most success with finding work (usually online comics) that we've been reading for years. We reach out to those creators and find a way to bring their work to print.
However, later this year, we're pulling our resources together to start a contest for original short graphic stories. Because there is almost no market for it, graphic short form is a dying art. But we want to put a stop to that! So keep an eye out for a ludicrously big prize for the best short form graphic stories and memoirs out there (yes, we are possibly TOO excited)!
Not only do you pay your writers, you offer editing as well. What is the Free Editing Program, and how have writers responded to that so far?
The Free Editing Program is the very first program we ever started at Tethered by Letters way back in 2009. The program, as you can imagine from the title, gives free edits to authors of all styles and skill levels.
Here's the idea: you're an author. You're submitting work to literary journals and anthologies so you can build up your publishing credit (usually because you're hoping to use that credit to snag an agent for a book). But you keep getting these blanket rejections: Dear Author, Unfortunately this doesn't fit our aesthetic at BLANK magazine.
And this rejection could mean anything. It could mean your story is 98% there or it's the worst thing ever committed to paper…but you don't know. You're left in the dark.
And that's where the Free Editing Program comes in. It tosses an anchor out in the dark.
Every work submitted to our program gets notes from a professional editor, specifically talking about the merits of the piece and explaining what prevented the editor from pitching it up for publication. This way, the author can work toward improving their work and better gauge how to go about that difficult task.
And the program isn't just educational. Almost 30% of the content published in each issue of F(r)iction comes from the Free Editing Program. We strive to help authors take works that would have received that blanket rejection and help them improve until they get the "We love this story. We want to publish it" letter.
Out of all the programs we run at Tethered by Letters, the Free Editing Program is my favorite. Every time I get to see those stories in print, right there, beside celebrity stories, goodness….it makes everything worth it.
It's amazing how powerful those works are. It's a hell of a lot of work, but we get to ensure that they don't get lost in the dark.
You spotlight emerging writers in each issue. Is that for writers whose work has already been submitted, or work that has been solicited from writers whose work you've seen elsewhere?
In every issue we reserve a large feature (8 to 10 pages) to a new novelist who has skyrocketed onto the literary scene. The feature includes a review, a long interview, and a lengthy excerpt (usually the first chapter) from their debut novel.
This is one of the only features we carried over from the old Quarterly Journal days (in fact, we've been doing it for almost six years now), because it's such an amazing way for readers to engage with new talent early on in an author's career before that are impenetrably famous.
We find these authors because we review an insane amount of books. Most times publishers send us works they think we'll like, but we also request reviews for random new books. The books we love most, the ones that make us pull all-nighters, get selected to be featured. We call up the publicists, set up the interview, and off we go!
Your print magazine is published three times a year. Do you also publish work online?
We do! Unfortunately, there just isn't enough room in our print journal for all the great literature we receive. As a result, we run an online journal called F(r)Online. Every week we run new stories, poems, reviews, and interviews.
Can you describe Tethered by Letters and what it is that they do? Do you operate independently from them?
Tethered by Letters is the parent nonprofit that owns and operates F(r)iction. Although everyone on staff loves our publishing division (and we all pitch in to make it beautiful), it only comprises about 10% of our day-to-day activities. I founded the organization way back in 2007. Since then, Tethered by Letters has grown into international 501(c)3 nonprofit with staff on three continents.
Some of our projects include the Free Editing Program, University Internship Partnerships, Writers Resource Center, and annual High School Lecture Series. We also work hard to make the craft of writing a little less lonely. We host a wide variety of community events, including our Celebrity Mentor Program which features a prominent contemporary author in our online forum once a month, allowing members to pick these people's brains about their experiences as professional writers.
In our home state of Colorado, we are also running a program in the Denver Women's Correctional Facility. Teaching a graphic memoir curriculum to the inmates, we strive to give these women resources to express themselves in creative and proactive ways and to help them prepare themselves for reentry.
Through all these programs, Tethered by Letters aims to use storytelling as a means to connect people. F(r)iction is a physical manifestation of that goal. As we all know, making it in the publishing industry is really, really hard. We want to provide writers with as many resources as possible so that they can reach their fullest potential. Tethered by Letters strives to foster a love for art and literature and keep people excited about being creative.
Can you tell me where the print edition is available to buy?
F(r)iction is usually all over the place. You can find it in a slew of bookstores around the US, online in our store, and every year, we take the lovely books to the Edinburgh International Book Festival in Scotland! I say "usually" because, as of January, you can't find F(r)iction #2 or #3 anywhere. We sold out of our entire stock within the first six weeks!
We're quadrupling our print run for F(r)iction #4, but if you want to get a copy before we sell out again, please consider subscribing. Our subscribers are guaranteed a whole year of F(r)iction and our undying gratitude!
Is there anything you'd like to talk about that I've forgotten to mention?
Actually, I'd love to shamelessly plug our internship program! Since F(r)iction has grown so rapidly, we've just opened up a new session for editorial and publishing interns. If you think F(r)iction is a pretty awesome book, you can apply for one of our internship spots. We're always looking for new lit geeks to join the team. Three of the spots each year are paid… with real money (I know, it's crazy, but we LOVE interns).
Aside from that call for editors, I wanted to thank you and your readers for taking the time to learn more about F(r)iction. We couldn't be more excited about this strange little book, and we hope you all find it as magical as we do.
Sandy Ebner lives and writes in Northern California. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in Connotation Press: An Online Artifact, Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review, the HerStories/ My Other Ex anthology, and other publications. She holds a bachelors degree in journalism from California State University, and is an alumna of the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley. She is a contributing writer to Change Seven and The ReviewReview, and previously served as the creative nonfiction editor at MadHat Lit and MadHat Annual (Mad Hatter's Review). She is working on her first novel.


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There have been some interesting developments -- or non-developments -- in the Pakistani sector of the Terror War since the February election in which the party and policy of President Pervez Musharraf were soundly repudiated.
The awful wave of suicide attacks which has plagued the country for the past several years, claiming thousands of lives, has vanished -- into the mists, as it were -- as the new government plays its hand in a very different way.
Rather than trying to bomb the "militants" into submission, the Pakistani government is now letting people go about their lives in relative peace, and presto change-o, the "militants" are suddenly not so militant after all.
As Ishtiaq Mahsud, Riaz Khan and Stephen Graham report for the Associated Press via the International Herald Tribune:
Taliban leader urges halt to violence and Pakistan government talks peace with key tribe
A Taliban commander wanted in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has urged his followers to halt violence as Pakistan's new government steps up peace talks in hopes of turning a rising tide of Islamic militancy.Apparently when they say "knock it off!", they're not kidding.
Followers of Baitullah Mehsud [photo], considered Pakistan's top Taliban commander, distributed fliers in his name around the lawless region on the Afghan border telling his supporters not to break a ban on acts of "hostility."
A copy of the flier obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday warned that those who disobeyed the order would be "strung upside down in public and punished."
Pakistan has enjoyed a monthlong respite from a wave of devastating suicide bombings blamed on Islamic militants that included the December assassination of Bhutto. The army and the militants have been observing an unofficial cease-fire for more than a month.and so on.
The lull follows the election of a new government which has vowed to negotiate with militants who renounce violence and sought to distance itself from the strong-arm tactics of U.S.-backed President Pervez Musharraf, whose influence is fading.
Maulvi Umar, a spokesman for Mehsud, told AP that militants across the region were ready for peace if the government met their demands to withdraw the army and release militant prisoners.Of course this development puts "U.S. officials" in a bit of a spot: they have to say they support any government initiative that appears to reduce terrorism, even while their government's official policy is to instigate terrorism.
U.S. officials have voiced some support for the government's peace initiative, while urging the government to exclude Taliban and al-Qaida figures suspected of orchestrating attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan — and perhaps plotting major terrorist attacks in the West.
For in-the-know "U.S. officials", things must look grim, and the longer the "unofficial cease-fire" holds, the grimmer they will look.
Despite the most fervent wishes of those who would steer the course of history in more extremist directions, Pakistan had an actual election and the people spoke.
And even after all the damage he has done to the rule of law in his country, Musharraf's power is waning, the "war on terror" is fizzling, peace is breaking out in the "lawless frontier regions", and Bush's number one ally in the so-called Global War On Terror is showing how to de-escalate a "crisis" fomented by the previous government.
It remains to be seen whether anything of the sort can happen in the United States.
Pakistan has the advantage of a pro-democracy movement led by the country's lawyers and journalists.
But the U.S. has Predators and Reapers and no compunctions about using them.
If ever there were a situation where a drone needed to drop a bomb to kick-restart a nasty little war, this would seem to be it.
But don't worry -- they didn't get the idea from me!


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by Sean Montgomery, sports information graduate assistant
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — According to the yearly NCAA academic calculations, Georgia College ranks first in Federal Graduation Rates (FGR) among student-athletes in all of NCAA Division I and II athletics within the state of Georgia.
The Bobcats lead the University System of Georgia (USG) with a 79 percent graduation rate and the class average for the last four undergraduate classes is also the highest in the state at 71 percent.
"These very impressive numbers show how well-rounded our student athletes are at Georgia College," said University President Steve M. Dorman. "Not only do they excel on the courts and fields, but they focus and take as much pride in their academics as their athletic work. These students think independently and lead creatively in all their endeavors, and we are proud of them."
Georgia College student-athletes consistently graduate at a rate above the general student body and show a nine percent increase in the four-class average.
"From the second I signed to play at Georgia College, I was fully aware of what I was getting into," said senior Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President Sydney Cleveland. "I knew my education was more important than my sport, and that it would require commitment, sacrifice, and hard work. My coach and athletic department have always expressed the importance of our academics and all of the resources that are available to help us succeed. There was never a point in my experience where I felt like I had no support."
While the Bobcats lead the entire USG in FGR, the latest class also sits atop the Peach Belt Conference (PBC). The PBC affiliates with 12 total schools from three additional states: North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.
"This shows what a wonderful group of student-athletes we have at Georgia College," said Faculty Athletics Representative Ken Farr. "Their dedication to academics and athletic competition should make everyone in the Bobcat family very proud. Congratulations for a job well done!"
Beyond the various athletic successes from routine PBC and NCAA postseason tournament appearances, the Georgia College Department of Athletics excels in defining what it means to be a student-athlete by preaching the mantra "student first" and continuing to dominate in the classroom yearly.
"We have an amazing University that attracts incredible students, faculty and staff," said Athletic Director Wendell Staton. "We pride ourselves in 'Graduating Champions for Life,' and I commend our coaches for recruiting and retaining outstanding people that align with and desire the Georgia College experience."
The FGR for student-athletes is an indicator of the percentage of freshmen who entered and were awarded athletics aid during a given academic year and graduated within six years of initial enrollment.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the 2017 PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at @GCBobcats on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.


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I made this short video for the Edinburgh based street food vendor – Nusou. They were in St Andrews square during the festival and have just the won the Scottish round of the British Street Food Awards. .
Archive for August, 2014
Scotland Video Production – Nusou Filming
I'm making 2 films for a street food vendor called Nusou. They want 1 video to share across social networks as a promotional video and another to pitch for investment. They had a stall at St Andrews square as part of the Edinburgh Festival and now they are now looking at setting up in Waverley […]
Independance Debate Camera Work – Dynamic Earth – Edinburgh
I was doing camera work for Glocast filming an independence debate at Dynamic Earth hosted by the Federation of Small Business's. We shot a multicam setup on 2 EX1's and a static wide shot which was vision mixed to plasma screens in the hall and streamed over the internet.
Scotland Aerial UAV Drone Filming
I'm another step closer to getting my BNUC licence to fly UAV's commerically. The operations manual has been submitted and approved so its just the flight test booked for the start of September. In the meantime I've been going around Scotland with the Drone filming footage for the showreel. The showreel will contain shots from […]
Recent Video Production jobs around Edinburgh and Scotland
The last few months have been pretty hectic with jobs ranging from belly dancing on Jura, welding in Cupar, filming noodles in Edinburgh and a selection of other interview work. Some stills below… . . . . .
Video Production – Historic Scotland / Mary Queen of Scots
Over the coming months i'll be filming a project with Historic Scotland documenting the making of a bronze statue. The statue of Mary Queen of Scots is being funded by the Marie Stuart society and maintained by Historic Scotland which will be displayed at Linlithgow Palace. I'll be filming all stages of the process of […]
Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Brazouka Film
I was helping out a video production company last week film a promotional video for a show called Brazouka. They had a Sony FS700 set up on a couple of tracks and I was on the Glidecam at the side of the stage.


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I have a passion for games and books. Avocado is my fuel.


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Children of Conflict: the Syrian War's Impacts on Child Health and Resettlement
To view photos from this event, visit our Facebook page here.
In celebration of Universal Children's Day, the CHRC and its co-sponsors, Center for Community and Global Health, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, Health Sciences Division: University Ministry, and the Department of Public Health Sciences, present two events focusing on the Syrian war, its impact on children, and efforts to support Syrian children both locally and abroad.
At 8 am – 9 am, Dr. Zaher Sahloul, physician and past president of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), will speak about current efforts to provide medical support to children in Syria and later at 12-1 pm, Suzanne Akhras Sahloul and Hadia Zahour, of the Syrian Community Network will speak about the conflict, its impact on children, and efforts to resettle refugees in the Chicago community.
Conflict in Syria: #WhatIsAleppo? A Global Health Perspective
Tuesday, November 15th, 2016, 8:00 – 9:00 AM
Stritch School of Medicine, Room 360
Zaher Sahloul, MD
It Takes a Community - #RefugeesWelcome
Tuesday, November 15th, 2016, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Stritch School of Medicine, Room 190
Suzanne Akhras Sahloul
Hadia Zarzour
Stritch School of Medicine is located at 2160 S 1st Ave, Maywood, Illinois.
Get to know the event speakers:
Zaher Sahloul, MD is a senior advisor and past president of the Syrian American Medical Society, SAMS. He is the founder of American Relief Coalition for Syria, a coalition of 14 humanitarian US-based organizations working in Syria. He led SAMS to be one of the most important medical relief and advocacy organization providing medical relief to Syrians and Syrian refugees. Currently, he leads SAMS Global Response to address the refugee crisis in Europe and provide medical relief in disaster areas. Dr. Sahloul also is a leading advocate in the Syrian humanitarian and refugee crisis in medical circles, the media, USG and the UN. He wrote several influential articles on the impact of the Syrian crisis on patients, public health. He is the past chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago and the Mosque Foundation. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago and a practicing physician in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
Suzanne Akhras Sahloul is the founder and Executive Director of the Syrian Community Network, a community-based refugee support network focused on supporting Syrian refugees in their resettlement in the Chicagoland area. Suzanne is also the founder of the Syrian American Medical Society's Midwest Foundation serving as its President from 2004-2006. She served as the Intern/Volunteer Director at the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. She holds a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University. Suzanne is currently pursuing a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership at the Kellogg School of Management. Additionally, Suzanne has also served as PTA President and as a board member at her children's school, the Universal School.
Hadia Zarzour is a founding member and the vice president of Syrian Community Network; a non profit organization that focuses on supporting the Syrian refugees in their resettlement in the Chicagoland area. Hadia is also a co-founder of Insan; an international non-profit organization which was founded in 2012 and is dedicated to providing psychosocial and spiritual support to Syrian refugee children and adults in Syria's neighboring countries; Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Hadia is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who came to the US in 2009 on a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her Masters in Community Counseling. She has a Bachelor degree in Psychology and a Diploma in Education from Damascus University, Syria. She enjoyed her eight-year teaching experience in her home country where she taught English as a second language to school students and Introduction to Psychology to university students. Since receiving her Masters in 2011 from Loyola University Chicago, Hadia has been working with refugees, immigrants and the underserved from different parts of the globe. She has recently been certified in Global Refugee Trauma from Harvard University.
This event is sponsored by: Center for the Human Rights of Children, Center for Community and Global Health, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, Health Sciences Division: University Ministry, and the Department of Public Health Sciences.


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One of the responses from our recent travel survey was that they wanted to know what our packing list was like after 14 years of travel. Here are our packing list tips for your backpacking travels.
Style of Travel
Now that we travel with our daughter, our packing list has gotten a little larger. I'll take her side of the packing out and just concentrate on how we would pack as independent backpackers.
We also pack differently depending on the location, how we are traveling, how long for and the weather. If we are road tripping across the US with our own vehicle than things like snorkels, and beach equipment, camping and cooking gear will be make the packing list.
For long-term backpacking, we tend to go to warm climate regions, which means we can reduce the amount of heavy and bulky clothes. Cold weather places we would usually experience on short getaways or as an expat living in the region.
One thing we have learned is that less is more, and you never use everything you pack!
My backpack has to be a front-loading backpack. I absolutely detest top-loading backpacks. You do your best to dip down into the cavernous depths of your pack, only to have to empty the whole thing out because your long-sleeved shirt that you need to wear into the temple is shoved right down the bottom. I still do not know one good reason why they are designed like that.
Front-loading backpacks have a zipper that goes all around the front. You can unzip, peel off the front piece and your backpack's belongings are laid out in front of you like the insides of a suitcase, making it so easy to find things. They also seem to have greater support for your back and sit more comfortably. You can zip a daypack to the front as well, which you are really going to need for those short, yes you guessed it day trips.
Read more – 10 of the best backpacks for travel
Our Packing List
You don't need to pack too many clothes. There are no travel fashion shows on the road; nobody cares how you look as we all look the same – comfortable and earthy. Choose practical, comfortable, hard-wearing, compact, light cotton clothes. Here are a list of essentials:
Here are a list of essential clothes to pack on your travels:
- Light raincoat from Northface, a reputable brand.
- Sweater, light jacket (depends on your destination) maybe your rain jacket can cover both. Or if this is too bulky leave it, you can always buy, if needed, at your destination
- Long-sleeved shirt and long pants (will be needed to cover up when you visit some cultural and religious sites and to protect against mozzies)
- Summer clothes: shorts, dresses, skirts, tank tops, shirts -mix and match, you only need about three of each that way. Depends on weather but I usually have more tank tops than t-shirts. I usually have at least one decent outfit in case we go out somewhere nice.
- Swimming costumes- 2
- Instead of a beach towel I use a sarong. Light and compact to carry, soft and cool to lie on, and can be used as a skirt.
- Bath towel-I once used a chamois and hated it. Found it so useless that I decided carrying around a towel would be worth the extra bulk and weight
- Sunscreen, hat, sunnies
- hiking socks
- undies and bras-enough to cover you for a week with no laundry
- Good hiking shoes (boots and/or sandals).Keens are my favourite. Check out my review here
- two pairs of thongs/flip flops
- Basic toiletries. You will be able to buy these on the road so only pack what you need for the beginning of your journey.
- Basic first aid kit: spare needles, antibiotics and tablets for vomiting and diarrhoea.
Forget the hair dryer and hair products and don't overdo it on the makeup ladies. It's just not necessary. The sun is going to give you the healthiest glow you'll ever need and you'll find you just too into living life to worry about spending wasted time on prettying up an already beautiful you.
Read More: How to pack efficiently
Other things to consider
- Water filter – depending on where you are travelling
- Reading book– just one or two, you can trade along the way for new ones
- Journal– please record your experiences. I was pretty good at this but at times got lazy. I'm kicking myself now!
This has definitely changed since we started traveling. We started off carrying a CD walkman and tons of CD's. Thank God for the:
- iPod
- Camera- SLR, lenses, point and shoot and video camera (check out our camera gear here)
- Lap top- we carry two,
- external hard-drive
- smart phones
Check out more of our tech gear (and issues) here
I recommend leaving the lap tops and related equipment at home unless you need it for work purposes. Disconnect from cyber space for a while and just enjoy travelling – what you have been saving for and dreaming to do for years. If you need the internet just go to a cafe and pay.
The less you carry the lighter your load, the less hassle, and the less insurance.
What does your packing list look like? Have I left out any essentials or put too much in?
More Packing Tips:
- How To Pack a Suitcase Efficiently
- 11 of the best suitcases for travel
- 10 packing tips for solo travelers


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"Hamilton" has been the rare production that extends the creative potential of musical theater, provides historical commentary, remakes Broadway's racial dynamic and, when asked, rises to the political moment. It is as much of a cultural juggernaut as any theatrical production with a usual audience of about 1,300 can be.
Even more promising, though, is the "Hamilton" diaspora, the show's still-evolving potential to shape culture beyond its walls. Key members of the original cast — Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odom Jr. and Christopher Jackson — are beginning to appear in other projects, several reaffirming the lessons of "Hamilton." Their new work is becoming a sort of referendum on the world Mr. Miranda imagined and wrote into life, but one that's not always easy to recreate beyond the stage.
Mr. Miranda, who in addition to his Tony victories for "Hamilton," has also received a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant, a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy, is making the democratizing of "Hamilton" a continuing part of his creative platform. His most immediate project is the release of "The Hamilton Mixtape," an album that takes his show off the stage and puts it in the mouths of a winning group of singers and rappers: Kelly Clarkson, Nas, Alicia Keys, Chance the Rapper and more.
This isn't the only time that the music has been divorced from the show — the cast album of "Hamilton" has undoubtedly been consumed by many more people than have been able to see the musical in person. (Since its September 2015 release, it has posted 829,000 album sales and 883 million streams, according to Nielsen Music.) But the soundtrack is still a collection of musical-theater songs, and Mr. Miranda has wider, more ambitious goals for his music.
By and large, the singers on "The Hamilton Mixtape" treat Mr. Miranda's material reverently, as interpreters handling a precious jewel: Ms. Clarkson on "It's Quiet Uptown," Ms. Keys on "That Would Be Enough." Others go above and beyond: John Legend gives "History Has Its Eyes on You" a bolt of 1960s soul dignity, shaving it down to an urgent piano arrangement. Andra Day adds swing and sass to "Burn," and Usher gives "Wait for It" a sensuality the original lacked (and maybe wasn't suited for, though that's no obstacle).
The savviest moment here is "Helpless," which revives the playful singer-rapper chemistry between Ashanti and Ja Rule, and draws a direct parallel between Mr. Miranda's songwriting and real-world pop. Like the best parts of this collection, this tale of puppy love suggests that the ideas Mr. Miranda seeks to spread have always found a welcoming home in pop music.
"The Hamilton Mixtape" serves as a proxy for how "Hamilton" has entered the wider popular imagination, but Mr. Miranda is also beginning to present work outside of that umbrella. He was one of the songwriters for "Moana," the new Disney film set in the Pacific islands, the highlights of which include the soaring anthem "How Far I'll Go," sung by Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) and the wry "You're Welcome," with the familiar Miranda blend of singing and rapping, performed by Maui (Dwayne Johnson). (For good measure, "Moana" also features brief vocals by Mr. Jackson and Phillipa Soo, who played Eliza Schuyler in "Hamilton.") Mr. Miranda is a natural in this context: matching exposition to melody is one of his many gifts. Disney should call him if it ever gets around to making a film with a Latina princess.
Mr. Miranda's reach is also expanding in a manner unusual for even the most acclaimed of Broadway talents. He has appeared on "Drunk History" on Comedy Central, telling a loose-tongued version of the Hamilton story. He will star alongside Emily Blunt in the film "Mary Poppins Returns," and he recently signed on to produce film and TV adaptations of Patrick Rothfuss's fantasy series, "The Kingkiller Chronicle." He has also been active in bringing attention to Puerto Rico's debt crisis and raised money for the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights.
For some "Hamilton" stars, leaving the stage has meant a turn to music. Mr. Odom has released two albums: a self-titled collection of standards, and "Simply Christmas," a holiday set. He has a sterling voice, and in his music he is much more comfortable with his upper register than in "Hamilton," where his role as the villain Aaron Burr only sometimes ("Dear Theodosia") allowed him to showcase his tender side. He even brings a level of dignity and creativity to the commercial he recorded for Nationwide Insurance, taking that company's seven-note jingle and building a short song about life's complexities around it.
Like Mr. Odom, Mr. Diggs is a musician, and in September he and his avant-rap troupe, Clipping, released a new album, "Splendor & Misery." In "Hamilton," Mr. Diggs had perhaps the most complex task, playing both the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and rapping in warp-speed cadences that are difficult to replicate. In his own career, he is a rapper, too, and an intricate one, but his subject matter is even more provocative. "Splendor & Misery" is a striking tale of interstellar slave rebellion, heavily inspired by black science-fiction writers. Like "Hamilton," it's about re-empowering the disenfranchised by upending the system used for oppression.
At the same time, Mr. Diggs has been appearing in the far smoother environs of the network sitcom, with a recurring role on "Black-ish," the ABC family comedy about the intersection of contemporary race and class anxiety. Mr. Diggs plays Johan, the brother of the matriarch, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross). He's a spoken-word poet just home after living in France, given to saying things like: "This chilled butter wreaks havoc on a croissant. You Americans and your mania for refrigeration."
Initially, Johan is there to serve as an antagonist to Andre (Anthony Anderson), Rainbow's husband, who is perpetually trying to hold his heritage and the lessons of his upbringing close in the face of professional ladder-climbing, financial success and suburbanization, and whose perception of race relations is forged in the shadow of the civil rights era. But "Black-ish" is too nuanced to make Johan's bohemian self-righteousness one-note. Outside of his sister, Johan finds the most common ground with Andre's stodgy, irascible father (Laurence Fishburne). They're both skeptical of the utility of voting, but, even so, are both agitated by voter suppression. And most surprisingly, after a dust-up with the police (it takes place offscreen), Johan seems shaken up, and pulled closer to Andre's worldview, doubting even his precious poetry. (Mr. Diggs has also appeared, lip-syncing lyrics written and performed by Nas, in awkward interstitial segments of "The Get Down," Baz Luhrmann's extravagant love letter to the early days of hip-hop.)
Unfortunately, projects featuring the women of "Hamilton" are moving more slowly. On Dec. 4, Ms. Soo will begin playing the title role in "Amélie" in Los Angeles before it goes to Broadway. Renée Elise Goldsberry, who played Angelica Schuyler, will play Henrietta Lacks in the coming HBO adaptation of Rebecca Skloot's book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks."
The power of "Hamilton" becomes most clear when one of the principals materializes in an ecosystem that's far less diverse, nurturing and welcoming. In "Hamilton," Mr. Jackson played George Washington as a wise older-brother figure, stern boss and deliverer of tender soliloquies about the limits of executive power. On the new CBS procedural "Bull," he is Chunk Palmer, a former college football star reborn as a style consultant for besieged defendants in need of a sartorial boost.
"Bull" is prototypical network prime-time chum: Each self-contained episode revolves around a single legal case; the protagonist is an omniscient, infallible, borderline unethical white man. In some episodes, Mr. Jackson has barely a dozen lines — he is a bit player, part of a team built largely to emphasize how many different sorts of misfits Bull (Michael Weatherly) can wrangle to work under him.
Even the wardrobe fails Mr. Jackson here. He is meant to be the fashion expert, but apparently believes that a peak-lapel salmon blazer goes with a muted button-down-collar multicolor-striped shirt paired with a paisley tie. (Whoever knots his ties should be reassigned to craft services.)
Watching "Bull" after seeing "Hamilton," it is difficult not to want to reach into the television and yank Mr. Jackson to higher ground, somewhere beyond the reach of trite stories and synthetic fabrics. His work on the show serves as a reminder to never again casually dismiss the talented actors who are cashing checks by working on a structurally unforgiving procedural. And it's also a reminder that vast swaths of contemporary pop culture aren't designed to showcase diverse talents and narratives — gatekeepers are still coloring within old lines. Even though it tells a story from more than two centuries ago, Mr. Miranda's "Hamilton" still manages to show the world as it could be, not as it is.


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KAUFMAN, Tex. — A county prosecutor in this small town southeast of Dallas was fatally shot on Thursday morning near the courthouse by one or perhaps two gunmen, whom witnesses described as wearing masks, black clothing and tactical-style vests, the authorities said.
The prosecutor, Mark E. Hasse, worked in the Kaufman County district attorney's office in Kaufman, a town of 6,800 people about 35 miles from Dallas. He was shot several times shortly before 9 a.m. as he walked in an employee parking lot about a block from the courthouse.
The authorities said the suspect or suspects got out of a Ford Taurus, opened fire on Mr. Hasse and then returned to the car and drove away. Investigators were trying to determine why Mr. Hasse was targeted and if the shooting had anything to do with cases he had prosecuted.
"I've been doing this 43 years, and I've never seen anything like this," said David A. Byrnes, the Kaufman County sheriff.
Mr. Hasse, 57, was the county's lead felony prosecutor and a well-respected assistant district attorney. He received his law degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and in the 1980s served as a prosecutor in the Dallas County district attorney's office, where he had been the chief of the organized-crime section.
Kaufman County prosecutors have been involved in investigations of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas prison gang. In November, federal officials in Houston thanked a number of local agencies for their work — including Kaufman County prosecutors — when more than 30 senior leaders and other members of the gang were indicted on federal racketeering charges.
Officials said they were reviewing Mr. Hasse's current cases — as many as 400 of them — and previous ones for leads.
Lawyers and prosecutors throughout North Texas were stunned by the attack. The Dallas County district attorney, Craig Watkins, sent an e-mail encouraging his employees to exercise caution.
"There's a lot of shock," said David Finn, a criminal defense lawyer in Dallas and former federal prosecutor who knew Mr. Hasse. "Where this happened, it's not New York City or Dallas or L.A. or Chicago. This is a very, very, very small community, and for this to happen out there, it's a huge deal. It's incredibly brazen."
The Kaufman County district attorney, Mike McLelland, said his office had suffered a devastating loss. "Mark was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor," he said.
After the shooting, the Kaufman County Courthouse went into lockdown and then was closed as officers and agents from local, state and federal agencies searched the streets nearby.
Area schools, including the campuses of the Kaufman Independent School District, were also placed on lockdown.


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Chelsea have just won the Premier League and have the strongest team in England – but you just know they're going to spend an absolute shedload in the transfer window.
Love him or loathe him, Jose Mourinho is undeniably brilliant when it comes to the transfer market, and you can easily see him repeating his old tricks this summer by swapping John Obi Mikel for Paul Pogba and a Twix or something.
The rumour mill has already gone into overdrive as far as the Blues are concerned, and their potential squad for next season is really quite scary.
Mourinho is a known admirer of Real Madrid's Raphael Varane, who apparently isn't enjoying competing with Pepe and Sergio Ramos, and would knock Gary Cahill out of the team sharpish if he moved to Stamford Bridge.
Next up is Paul Pogba. Everyone and their dog wants him, but Chelsea have the financial muscle to make a move happen, especially if they sell Oscar – him, Cesc and Matic would be a pretty magical midfield trio, wouldn't it?
Finally, as Gary Neville pointed out, Chelsea buying Gareth Bale could see them dominate the Premier League for the next few years. That front three could do some real damage.
It's the potential back-up signings that would really rattle the rest of Europe though, as the Blues could have some serious strength in depth by next August.
Chelsea are already thought to have offered Loic Remy + £15million for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette – he's scored 31 goals this season, so he'd probably offer some decent support to Diego Costa.
The Blues could then also raid Atletico Madrid once more by triggering Antoine Griezmann's release clause, who'd definitely, definitely be a better option than Juan Cuadrado.
Back in midfield, Mourinho will hopefully look to start blooding youngsters like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while Mikel could be replaced with Marseille powerhouse Giannelli Imbula.
It's pretty feasible that Fabio Coentrao could take Filipe Luis' spot, while Everton's Seamus Coleman would push Branislav Ivanovic hard for a first-team berth.
And then finally, with Petr Cech set for an emotional departure from North London, Chelsea could grab��Rob Green on the cheap to boost their quota of homegrown players.
To be frank, all these players would probably cost Chelsea about £270million and put them in serious breach of FFP – but where's the fun in that?
Besides, we've seen them do stuff like this before…


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Accurate Legal Referencing in English Law
Est. 2017
Why did you write The Case Law Compendium?
I wrote the book for a number of reasons, but if pushed for a single motivation it would be to enable law students to navigate and hopefully excel at studying for their degrees. I could expand upon this, but that's the shortest answer I can give you. In fact, the idea traces back to 'The Black Letter', which I created to keep myself busy after graduating with my LL.B (Hons) Law degree.
Essentially I set out to read and write about a number of cases I had touched upon while at university, expecting nothing more from the experience other than to stimulate my mind, and put my thoughts out there for those who might stumble across this website.
However, something quite unexpected happened.
What was this unexpected event?
In the months following the launch of The Black Letter (Black Letter Publishing), my visitor statistics were much higher than anticipated, however, it was the diversity of visitors that really surprised me. After calculating the numbers, I realised that people from over 110 countries had visited the website to read my case studies, and in fact this trend has continued to grow since then.
This indicated that not only was my writing appealing, it was reaching students all over of the globe, and this international outreach really excited me. It was then that my wife explained how a book would the perfect way to genuinely help law students, especially given that I couldn't be there in person to help them understand the complexities of case law.
So which kind of student was it designed to help?
Quite literally all law students everywhere. And while I realise that each country has its own laws and jurisdictions, there is clear evidence that English law leads the way in this field, therefore the potential to assist overseas students is enormous. I cannot stress enough that The Case Law Compendium is much more than a book, it's a study support resource unlike any law course book I have ever read, and I can say that with confidence, because had I found anything remotely similar to this whilst at university, I would have purchased it without a moment's hesitation.
What make this book so special?
A number of things make The Case Law Compendium special, but to summarise it best, I would say that the book immediately closes the gap between the subject, the university and the student. And because law is built upon cases, undergraduates essentially have to quickly digest and appreciate why those cases are applied, relied upon, examined and used as precedent, and why the judges consult them when advancing laws or reaching decisions that the casual reader might not understand.
Institutionally speaking, most universities work to tightly scheduled timetables, and thus lectures are often overwhelming and confusing, largely because there just isn't the time to explore case facets and themes.
However, by having a copy of The Case Law Compendium at the start of their course, every student can instantly refer to the cases discussed and thereby recognise the essence of the matter, the positions adopted by the courts, judges and litigating parties, without surrendering to hours of laboured reading in order to keep up with the strict course requirements.
Though perhaps the most invaluable aspect of this book is that it can be purchased and read literally months ahead of the required modules, thus preparing the students for the lectures, coursework and discussions ahead.
Likewise, by reading the additional modules in this particular publication, students can choose at least two of their selective modules with confidence. It's also important to note that many family law cases will inevitably encroach on child law cases, again helping them with optional module selection.
From personal experience, property (land) and European law were the two most complex, challenging and often unnerving of the modules, even to the point that teaching the subject proved hard and painful to endure, largely because many cases are frequently layered, overlapping and therefore easily misunderstood. Yet by using The Case Law Compendium, the challenges are instantly reduced and reader knowledge is increased in a way that underpins the university curriculum.
Having spent many hours writing this invaluable book, I cannot overemphasise just how critical The Case Law Compendium is to all law students, especially those studying abroad, and it's equally vital to remember that having stripped away all the superfluous material, keeping only that which will impact and explain exactly what happened and why, this is an asset not to be overlooked, particularly as English court transcripts are frequently, if not always, unforgiving to traverse, and so command absolute focus should the translation be correct.
So it makes the seemingly impossible, possible?
Yes. No matter how many ways you approach it, The Case Law Compendium defies traditional learning, because it marries the exactness of legal knowledge with the vulnerability of an uninformed reader, thereby producing something fresh and stimulating, a benefit unseen before in this complex and specialised field.
In fact, this book would take anybody remotely interested in law, and transform them into somebody able to now see inside the subject in a way that transcends convention, and yet enables them to respect and embrace the process of law in a totally different way.
By way of example, I recently practiced this approach with a Spanish acquaintance, unfamiliar with law, and yet after explaining a case that was connected to her country, she completely understood it, much to her surprise and my delight! In fact I have had quick success with everyone that I've tried this with, even explaining constitutional and European law to grandmothers in their seventies!
Because of this, I am supremely confident that once opened and digested, the readers will revel in their new found insight, while law students will keep the book firmly nestled inside their backpacks as their degrees unfold.
Who else can benefit from The Case Law Compendium?
Law lecturers, solicitors, postgraduates, professors, in fact anybody with a passing interest in law and the cases that help shape it.
Lecturers can refer to it to brush up on legislation and case discussions, they can even use it to copy key citations for presentations, in order to help explain the matters without taking up precious student time.
Solicitors can use it to remind themselves of key cases that might be useful when in court, and take advantage of the best citations when reaching out to the wisdom of the judges.
Postgraduates can use it to refer to cases that might be relevant for thesis or assignment arguments, or again, as a quick refresher of that which they would have already learned.
Professors, much like lecturers, can always rely upon the expeditious breakdown of case material and thematic content to help illustrate how laws have been influenced and outcomes altered, or even as a stimulating read on occasions where they feel compelled to remember how laws function.
Lay readers can simply delve into all the major topics without committing to a degree course, hopefully going on to study the subject in greater detail with increased confidence, or knowing it's not the subject for them, while whatever the outcome, everybody wins.
Will it ever be sold in eBook format?
Having looked at the practicalities of this, I am sorry to say this is not an option right now. Those reasons stem from the fact that unlike fiction 'novels', the layout of the book requires the reader to note the citation references when reading and referring to it, which is not an option for Kindle devices and other associated electronic readers, besides, there is nothing like having a printed book beside you when working, as I can qualify, having proof read the book myself, and also having used it to quickly refer to court details etc. during the writing of this debut publication!
The Key Citations? What can you tell us about this aspect of the book?
One of the prerequisites of written legal text is that the student must include judgment citations relevant to the argument or theme discussed. This is a process that can require hours of laboured reading in order to find the most powerful statement relating to the case in hand. For those new to law, this is a huge challenge in itself, and so ultimately the only way to find these quotes, is from reading the case transcripts, documents that can run from ten to literally hundreds of pages, particularly in appeal cases, where there will be a number of judges commenting, as opposed to one in preliminary hearings.
In European law, there are also the opinions of both the Advocate-Generals and the Courts, again requiring valuable time in order to find the best, most relevant and impactive quotes possible.
By having personally analysed all 150+ cases during the preparation of the book, I have selected only the most relevant quotes before including them at the conclusion of the case studies.
In some instances, there are only one or two, while in others there are many more, a factor solely dependant on the judges themselves, who, when reading the material and organising their verdicts, offer knowledge that is purposeful to the matter.
This aspect of the book is quite simply essential, not only because the citations are there to both read and use, but because they have been fully OSCOLA referenced, thereby easily inserted into coursework without the need to find out the exact page number, judge name, court, and hearing date. This is yet another time-saving feature that everybody can benefit from, including undergraduates through to professors of law, while in the former example, academic grades are naturally reliant upon accurate referencing when impressing the markers.
So that's three unique selling points rolled into one!
Yes it is, but the book goes far beyond that, it inspires the reader, opens the subject up and allows for everybody to discuss what it really means to go to court, or to apply law in our everyday world, even giving insight into how matters end up in front of judges, how institutions operate, governments function, criminals try to avoid punishment and small accidents become huge lawsuits.
What would you like to say as a closing statement?
I would close by saying to anybody remotely curious about the various laws of both England and Europe, and especially those about to begin their law degrees, that 'The Case Law Compendium' is quite simply the only purchase they will need to make outside of the core text books required by the universities, and while it will certainly provide buyers many hours of stimulating and enlightening reading, it will also serve as a tool that can be used again and again as their legal knowledge increases.
This alone makes The Case Law Compendium the best law study resource available anywhere in the world today, which is perfect, as it is live on most Amazon sites and ready for shipping to any country.
The book is also being actively marketed to literally thousands of leading bricks-and-mortar retailers, university libraries and online bookshops around the globe, so even if you don't want to shop online, you can simply walk in and pick a copy up, borrow it from your campus library, or just order it through a book store.
The rapid international appeal of The Black Letter has led to the creation and publication of the 'The Case Law Compendium: English & European Law' which will provide students everywhere with:
What does this mean to me?
What this means is that by personally analysing thousands of transcript pages, all the hard work of reading, understanding and translating the minds of the judges and courts is something you can finally say goodbye to. Each case also includes hand-selected and fully OSCOLA referenced citations that can be quickly inserted into written coursework (or moot skeleton arguments) without you having to hunt for them.
So now by simply having a copy of the 'The Case Law Compendium' close to hand you will be able to effectively engage in tutorial debates, improve your essay writing abilities, and expedite your knowledge of a multitude of legal fields without the pain of decoding the legislation and application of jurisprudence.
So when is it available?
It is available now through most Amazon sites, Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, and thanks to the brilliance of Print on Demand technology it will always be ready for worldwide shipping in just a few clicks.
I can only emphasise just how invaluable this book will become to you as your law course progresses, and you'll be surprised at just how fast you learn the cases and how your confidence grows when discussing their finer points. I am supremely confident that you will also find yourself returning to the book when studying both for insight and refreshment of knowledge, and I quietly hope you will be equally excited whenever you turn to this unprecedented resource.
Please remember that it was you the worldwide readers, that inspired this book, so you owe it to yourselves to buy it (and use the hell out of it) and to tell your peers and friends everywhere, so that they too can work towards becoming an 'A' student in English law.
Remember that with 'The Case Law Compendium' you can do it.


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Stainless steel skewers are safe durable toy bases. Skewers are refillable so you can make some pretty impressive foraging toys for your parrots in no time at all. You can string on a wide variety of toy parts as well as fruits and vegetables. And they are dishwasher safe so you can wash and refill as often as needed.
Using stainless steel skewers as toy bases not only saves you time when making bird toys but can save you money as well. You can use leftover parts from used toys, household items like small cardboard boxes and egg cartons and thread them on the skewer together with vegetable and fruit pieces.
Read More
When we hear the word enrichment, the first thing that comes to mind tends to be things like toys and foraging enrichment that we provide our birds with on a daily basis to keep them busy. However, the physical environment: how we have built and decorated the habitats our parrots will be living in, is one very important aspect. You could say it's the very foundation that all other kinds of enrichment is built upon! By thinking carefully about how we put it together, we can increase the chances of parrots in a group getting along (Social enrichment) and encourage them to move around and explore more, and many other things that help keep them happy and healthy. In this blog post i'll give you some quick tips on what to think about: this is one area where details can make a difference!


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Facts About Coconut Water
Coconut Water can help you maintain perfect skincare. We've suggested how coconut water effects internal organs, but it is necessary to know that it is also good for your skin because it is able to clear up acne and pimples that tend to appear at the least opportune moments. If you apply it directly into… Read More »


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Dato' Dr Adi Taha was the Director General of the Department of Museums Malaysia.
Dato' Dr Adi joined the museum as a curator of archaeology in 1975 after graduating from the National University Malaysia with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology. In 1981, he enrolled at the Australian National University, Canberra, for his Masters and later obtained his Doctor of Philosophy from the same university in 2001.
Update: The former Director General of the Department of Museums Malaysia, Dato' Dr Adi Taha, 60, died after a long battle from cancer at his house in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur on 4 February 2012. Born on Aug 3, 1951 in Kodiang, Kedah, Dr Adi leaves wife, Wan Aminah Wan Yusof and six children. Malaysia and the Museum community will miss the eminent and affable Dato' Dr Adi Taha, R.I.P.
During his tenure with the Department of Museums Malaysia, Dato'Dr Adi had held several positions before culminating in the position of Director General in 2002, a position he held until his mandatory retirement in 2007. Dato' Dr Adi had pioneered museum work and research on prehistoric human artifacts, the Bujang Valley civilisation and the establishment of new museums in Malaysia and several block buster exhibitions.
He was also very enthusiastic on international collaboration and the department of museums was involved in several ASEMUS projects during his tenure as the Director General. Dato' Dr Adi was very supportive for the establishment of the Museum Volunteers programme at Muzium Negara in 2006, which eventually led to the official launch of 25 volunteers on 19 April 2007.
During his tenure with the museum department, Dato' Dr Adi had attended many ICOM general conferences and assemblies, presented papers at international seminars and workshops abroad and locally, the last being the Shanghai ICOM2010. Among his social and professional involvement were; Vice President of the Association of Malaysian Archaeologists (1997), President of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association (2002-2004), President of the Museums Association of Malaysia (2002-2009) and President of ICOM Malaysia (2002 – 2010)
Although retired from the museum, Dato' Dr Adi's zeal and passion for the museum did not falter. He joined the University Malaysia Kelantan as a principal fellow in the Faculty of Creative Technology & Heritage and continued to contribute to the field of museology, history and culture. His expertise on museums and history was often sought after by museum's curators, academicians and individuals. Dato' Dr Adi had also written several books and articles on the prehistory of Malaysia.
Discover Malaysian museums that are Asia-Europe Museum Network members
Image courtesy of gornamarima.blogspot.com


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This is why 2015 Would be the Calendar year of Fresno SEO.
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Insurance for Nonprofit Organizations in Santa Ana and Irvine, CA
Unique Insurance Options for your Business
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Although the pace of work certainly begins to slow along with the dwindling daylight here at the end of the year, there are a couple of frantic moments built into this stage of our farm calendar. Most have to do with the livestock, moving those animals ready for processing through our loading chutes, into the waiting trailer, and off the farm. Our last big load of pigs went off on Wednesday of this week, we loaded six cows out of the beef herd Sunday morning, and we take twenty-five lambs and ewes in on Wednesday of next week. Cow loading Sunday morning went really well, but it is a nerve-racking event for me no matter what, and I am really relieved to have it behind us now. We raise a really docile strain of Red Devon cattle, but they are still pretty big animals, and convincing them to go through our chute and up into the trailer can be a little daunting. There is also the real pang of regret knowing the fate of these animals, and knowing that the good life we've worked so hard to give them here is coming to an end.
This year's load of cows was an interesting one, and it was really tough to develop the list
to fill the six spots we need to satisfy all of our beef needs. We had two steers born in 2015 that were ready, and with their big racks of horns, we are really happy to see them off the farm. We've had a cow abandoning her calf within the first week after birth both of the past two years, and, through a process of elimination, we sent off two cows that may have been the culprit. Finally, we've been struck by an almost total failure of the ear tags that we were using in past years, and the last two spots on the trailer were filled with cows who'd lost their tags and had therefore fallen out of our record keeping. We have a whole bunch of cows with no ear tags at this point, and we either need to run everyone through the chute and retag them, or cull out all the unmarked cows.
After a summer that featured pretty consistent rain, we had been going through a very dry fall. However, we've had more than eight inches of rain this week, and the world of The Farm School has been transformed. We had two separate three-inch rain events in the first half of the week, and another two inches of rain Sunday night. Each storm was significant, with heavy rain falling for hours and hours, and Sunday night included strong wind that knocked our power out. Streams and ponds in the area quickly filled and flooded, cultivated fields turned to liquid mud, and our livestock took shelter as much as they possibly could. Radar maps online showed huge storm systems stretching from Florida through Maine, and patterns that I have never seen before. Wednesday's storm showed an almost totally vertical north/south line of rain about three hundred miles wide, streaming from the south to the north, and barely inching incrementally from west to east. That river of moisture from the south poured on New England all day Wednesday, adding more than three inches of rain to the deluge we got earlier in the week. I am an avid consumer of weather information and maps, but I have never seen a storm system shaped like that!
Both the beef and the dairy herds are eating round wrapped bales by now, signifying the
true end of the grazing season here at The Farm School. There is a little bit of grass out there in the pastures, but we've found that leaving a nice mat of green out there gives the whole system a nice foundation to start with in the spring. The grass on the surface mirrors the root structure in the soil, so letting our pasture plants shut down in the fall with a nice collection of roots should make them more ready to start vigorous growth when conditions are right in the spring. Now we have to start really collecting all the round bales that we made over the summer, and the ones that we've ordered from hay producers in the area. We'll collect massive stacks of them at the beef winter barn and at the dairy, and dole them out as needed throughout the winter. We are working to retrofit our largest tractor to make it capable of operating a round bale grabber, and hoping that will allow us to unload, stack and deploy round bales without having to borrow a machine.
The greenhouse is empty and clean, and a new floor has been put down in preparation for its annual conversion into our winter timber-frame workshop. This week is the start of a three-week stretch of the Learn to Farm program that we call 'the trifecta' that includes a group learning to work with draft horses, a group learning to use a chainsaw and cut down a tree, and group learning how to timber-frame. Each group spends a week in each of the three areas, and they come out the other end with a whole new world of skills. I'll keep you informed as it all goes down!