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Gene Notes
Some random and some not-so-random thoughts on family history.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thriller Thursday - The Cleveland Clinic Explosion May 15, 1929
I'm stretching on this one. The two women connected with the family were sisters-in-law of Andrew Meyer, one of my mother's uncles. Their names are bold in the listing.
From The May 16, 1929 Benton Harbor, Michigan News-Palladium
Cleveland, May 15 -- (AP) -- Poison gas and two explosions which followed burning of X-ray films in the Cleveland clinic today claimed nearly 100 lives.
Tonight there were 98 known dead and hospital authorities worked desperately to administer artificial respiration to 43 others who were overcome. Victims of the disaster were dying at short intervals and physicians sent out appeals for additional oxygen in the fear that the supply in the city might prove insufficient. Oxygen is declared the only effective means of overcoming the gas burns.
Nearly all of the deaths were attributed to the deadly gas which filtered through the four story brick building slowly at first and then, augmented by a second and greater explosion than the first, rushed up from the basement and cut off escape down the stairways and elevators.
Survivors said those asphyxiated were dead, their faces turning yellowish brown color within two minutes after inhaling the gas.
The fumes were given off by fire of undetermined origin which destroyed X-ray films in the basement. Some pharmacists said it was bromine gas, while DR. WILLIAM E. LOWER, one of the founders of the clinic, said it resembled the deadly phosgene gas employed in the World war.
It was ironic that the disaster occurred in the very place where the most advanced instruments and laboratories of science had been turned against pain and death. The clinic was owned principally by DR. GEORGE W. CRILE, nationally known physician, who was too occupied with relief work to comment of the catastrophe.
Despite the heavy loss of life, firemen estimated the property damage at only $50,000.
The dead were patients, doctors, and nurses who filled the four-story structure at 11:30 o'clock the busiest hour of the morning.
The first explosion came when X-ray films stored in the basement caught fire releasing deadly fumes. The fumes penetrated to the waiting room on the floors above.
The hollow center of the building soon filled with gases. The intense heat below sent the fumes swirling upward. Before any one had opportunity to escape a second blast blew out the skylight and filled every corner of the building with the deadly bromine gas.
Occupants had no way of escape but the windows, and few were able to reach them. These were enveloped in the fumes which hung about the building and they collapsed.
The two street entrances were choked, and the stairways leading to the roof were heavy with fumes. Every piece of fire apparatus available was centered at the clinic and every vehicle possible was commandeered to remove the bodies. An hour and a half later all had been taken to nearby hospitals.
The first blast was heard by Police HENRY THORPE, walking two blocks away. He immediately turned in an alarm and ran to the building, at Euclid avenue and 93rd street.
A block away he was blinded by the gas. The first firemen to arrive turned in a second alarm and police, hospital and county morgue ambulances were concentrated about the building.
Battalion Fire Chief JAMES P. FLYNN, with his driver, LOUIS HILLENBRAND, were the first to enter the building. They reached the roof and chopped a hole leading to a stairway, then dropped a ladder to the fourth floor landing. Below they found sixteen bodies, one a doctor and another a nurse, strewn along the staircase.
The physician, DR. J. L. LOCKE, was taken out first and was revived. Five of the others were taken to the roof and carried down ladders as arriving firemen battered in windows to reach those inside.
Ambulances and taxicabs were used to take them to hospitals. DR. GEORGE W. CRILE, head of the clinic, gave orders that all victims be taken to the closest source of oxygen, their only hope of life.
Some were taken to the Cleveland clinic hospital, adjoining the clinic building. The others were taken to Mt. Sinai, Huron Road and Charity hospitals.
Emergency equipment was set up outside the building as the fumes lifted and permitted rescuers to work in safety. Police lines were thrown about the district to reroute traffic and hold in check a crowd of several thousand onlookers.
Inside the building firemen found many lying in the spot where the blasts found them. Rooms set aside for clinical examinations were occupied by patients and physicians. Some sat in chairs of the waiting room, overcome as the first cloud of gas swept up from the basement. Others in the front of the building were stretched along the stairs.
The rescuers found evidences of the suddenness with which disaster came to those inside the building on every hand. Hats and shoes were scattered about abandoned in the flight of those able to fight off the fumes long enough to make a frantic attempt at escape.
Surgical equipment lay ready for use in the examining rooms. In the X-ray developing room a roll of film was stretched to dry. A wheel chair with the blanket thrown aside blocked a balcony overlooking the waiting room. A stenographer's half finished letter was found in an office.
Everything was abandoned as the victims realized too late that the brown fumes curling through door casings and along the halls carried death.
Most of them were to make no attempt to save themselves. No bed patients were kept in the clinic and many of those there had appeared for medical examinations, were able to attempt escape. But so sudden was the catastrophe that none had time to reach the open air and safety.
Emergency provisions were made at the hospitals and as these became overflowed a residence near the clinic was made into a temporary first aid station. Cots were set in halls at Mt. Sinai hospital and as fast as the victims succumbed they were removed for the oncoming line of ambulances. The unknown dead were taken immediately to county morgue, which was taxed as never before. Anxious relatives who arrived at the clinic to learn that members of their families had been removed gathered at the morgue and the hospitals to learn their fate.
Identification was slow. As rapidly as the names of the victims were learned they were posted at the morgue and police established another bureau of information at central station.
The work of identification went or tonight. Police declared it might require several days to complete the roster of those who were killed.
Discoloration hampered identification of some, although none of the bodies were disfigured otherwise.
The blasts shot through the building with an intensity of heat which even the masonry could not resist. As the fumes leaped from the compression of the narrow quarters in the basement they scarred the woodwork and charred stair rails.
Hardened plaster was blistered and peeled from the walls. A steel floor was blown in and the fumes filling a hollow compartment between a balcony roof and the roof of the building, ripped out the brick and mortar as if it had been pasteboard.
Steel network of the plastering was peeled from the walls and hung along the balconies. The casings of the skylight buckled and warped under the force of the explosion and the broken glass was rained on the floor of the waiting room three floors below.
The suction after the explosion shattered glass doors reinforced with steel. Compression in the hollow center of the building packed air into the halls and staircases and when this force was released by the blast the air rushed back into the center of the bulding smashing the doors with the force of battering rams.
Heavy fumes hung about the building and for two hours after the blast rescuers were unable to remain inside for long intervals.
The explosion came at a few seconds past 11:30 A. M. A clock on the third floor balcony stopped at that time.
The fumes were so strong as to act almost instantly. Pedestrians caught outside the building fell to the ground and lay unconscious until dragged to safety when the gas lifted. One woman smashed a third floor window and was preparing to leap as firemen spread a life net. She stood poised, the amber gas swirled about her shoulders, and she collapsed, falling inside the building.
Some at unbroken windows, pounding wweakly against the glass, and then dropped from sight as the gas choked them. Most of the victims lay clutching their throats, stifled and fighting at the last for air.
STEPHEN WEIZER, elevator operator, was in the car in the basement. He shot the car to fifth floor penthouse and escaped with burns about the face and hands. Two workmen in a coal bin below the X-ray film storage room were jarred but not otherwise injured.
Some of those given oxygen immediately after their removal were expected to live. Hope was despaired of for others where noxious poison had destroyed the membranes of the lungs.
One policeman described the scene as worse that his experiences in the world war. He had carried out 25 bodies, he said. DR. CARL HELWIG an intern at another hospital, went to Mr. Sinai hospital to aid in resuscitation and came upon his wife who had gone to the clinic for examination. She died as he worked to save her.
LOUIS SOBOUL, whose appointment was cancelled, walked from the structure an instant before the double explosions. SOBOUL said he turned to see victims with their clothes torn away, fighting at the windows for air. Billows of gas swept about them and he fled to Huron road hospital to spread the alarm as the fumes filled the street.
The Cleveland clinic was established by DR. CRILE a few years ago and rapidly rose to a place of prominence in the city's medical centers. The surgeon, noted for his operations for goiter, associated himself with other physicians in the Cleveland clinic foundation and in 1924 a hospital was build for the care of patients.
Official inquiry into the causes of the blast was opened immediately after the bodies had been cleared away.
Coroner A. J. PEARSE prepared plans for an inquest as fire department officials attempted to learn the origin of the fire.
Cleveland, May 15 -- (AP) -- Policeman ERNEST STAAB, 30, of Number 1 emergency wagon, sacrificed his life to achieve the removal of 21 persons from the blazing gas filled Cleveland clinic. STAAB arrived while the fumes still clogged the entrance but time after time pushed his way into the darkened halls, facing almost certain death.
Some of those he removed were alive tonight, some died as he carried them to open air. But STAAB worked away as the fatal gas slowly destroyed his lungs. The policeman collapsed after carrying out his twenty-first burden. He followed those he rescued to an emergency cot and died a few hours later.
Plattsburgh, New York Sentinel May 17, 1929
(By Associated Press)
Cleveland, May 16 -- Revised list of dead and injured in Cleveland Clinic disaster:
DR. HARRY ANDISON, Cleveland Heights, staff physician.
PHILLIP BADER, Cleveland.
MAX BARTHOLOMEW, Medina, Ohio, sketch artist.
EVELYN BERNLER, clinic employe.
R. E. BISSELL, Cleveland Heights, engineer and patient.
DR. JOHN BORELLO, staff physician at clinic.
DR. ROY A. BRINTNALL, Lakewood, physician on Clinic staff.
WILLIAM J. BROWNLOW, East Cleveland, artist at the clinic.
W. W. BUSBY, Indianapolis.
MRS. W. W. BUSBY, Indianapolis.
MRS. CARL, Cleveland.
MRS. MAY B. CARSE, Cleveland.
ROMEO CASINIO, Cleveland.
MRS. ROSA CASINIO, Cleveland.
RICHARD COLLINS, Cleveland.
MISS MINNIS COSTLEY, Cleveland.
HELEN CHARLOTTE DE HART, Clinic nurse.
MISS FANNIE DEMBROW, Cleveland.
MRS. FLORENCE EPSTEIN, Chicago.
MISS ZANNA FAHEY, technician in X-Ray department at Clinic.
MRS. EVELYN FAYDUER, Akron, Ohio.
HUGO FIELDS, Akron, O.
LILLIAN FIELT, Franklin, Pa.
VIRGIL FLEMING, repairman, Cleveland.
MISS GEORGEIANNA FOWLER, clerk at clinic.
MRS. JOSEPH FRANK, Dunkirk, N.Y.
HERMINE FUERST, East Cleveland, patient.
R. B. FULTON, Cleveland, patient.
MISS GLADYS GIBSON, telephone operator at clinic.
MINNIE GLUMPLIN, Cleveland.
MISS GWENDOLYN GREET, Cleveland.
SAMUEL HAAS, Cleveland Heights.
MRS. CARL HELWIG, Cleveland.
LENORA HOLLENBECK, Middlefield, Ohio, patient.
JEANETTE HOROWITZ, Cleveland.
DR. EDWIN S. HUNTER, staff physician at clinic.
NATE HURD, Cleveland.
MRS. ROSE KAUFMAN, Cleveland.
MISS BERTHA KEMINSKY, Akron, Ohio.
MRS. SAM KORNISISKI, Lakewood.
HENRY LANE, Cincinnati, Ohio.
DR. CHARLES E. LOCKE, Cleveland Heights, brain specialist.
FRANCES LOGAR, Eucil Village.
C. H. LONG, Barberton, Ohio.
MRS. C. H. LONG, Barberton, Ohio.
MRS. FRED LONG, Parsons, W. Va.
MRS. HOPE NADTIER, Youngstown, Ohio.
MARY E. MARKELL, Madison, Ohio.
CLIFFORD E. MARKEL, Madison, Ohio.
MISS SUE MATZ, Rochester, N.Y., nurse at clinic.
MISS MARGARET McKENNA, East Cleveland.
ELTO MOELLER, Elyria, Ohio.
CHARLES MOORE, Cleveland.
MISS EDITH MORGAN, East Cleveland.
MRS. W. C. MULCAHY, Cleveland.
MRS. FLORENCE E. MULLEN, Cleveland. (Florence Henry Mullen - left three small children)
MISS HELEN O'CONNELL, Elyria, Ohio.
MRS. MARY O'KEEFE, Rome, Ga.
MISS LITTA PERKINS, Lyndhurst, executive secretary of clinic.
DR. JOHN PHILLIIPS, co-founder of clinic and one of its directors.
MISS META PRIMO, address unknown.
MRS. ALICE QUAYLE, Mississippi.
JOHN RALSTON, Wellsville, Ohio, patient.
MRS. HARRY RAMASK, East Cleveland, patient.
C. K. REESE, East Cleveland.
JAMES T. REESE, South Euclid, Ohio.
MRS. FRANCES T. REESE, South Euclid, Ohio.
MRS. FRANCES RICH, New Brunswick, N.J.
MISS MARY RICHARDS, Ashtabula, Ohio.
PATRICK ROGERS, Cleveland, Iceman.
WILLIAM T. ROGERS, Cleveland.
PAUL ROQUEMORE, East Dallas, Tex.
MOLLY ROTHSCHILD, Cleveland.
C. E. SCHERBARTH, Lakewood.
MRS. C. E. SCHERBARTH, Lakewood.
MRS. THEODORE SCHILL, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Loretta Henry Schill, left two young children.)
MISS FRANCIS SERTELLE, Cleveland.
CHARLES SEWALD, Williamsport, Pa.
MRS. ELIZABETH SEXAUER, Akron, Ohio.
MISS MARY SCHAEFFER, East Cleveland.
MRS. ALMA SHERMAN, Cleveland.
J. BARKER SMITH, secretary and general manager of the Cleveland Athletic club.
W. L. SPELLMAN, Forest, Ohio.
MRS. CHARLES STAGE, Cleveland.
MRS. ANNA STAHL, Youngstown, Ohio.
MRS. MAZIE STEELE, Erie, Pa.
HARRY STEINBERG, Denver, Colo.
GEORGE STRAPP, Cleveland, fireman.
MISS JULIA SZUBRA, Cleveland.
FABRICO TANGLEDO, Minnesota.
ADAM TIGHT, Sandusky, Ohio.
ARTHUR TIGHT, Sandusky, Ohio.
DR. VANDUSEN, address unknown.
CHARLES WARD, Cleveland.
MRS. NIXON WALFORD, Emienton, Pa.
JOHN WARD, Cleveland.
MRS. MAY WARDEN, East Cleveland, nurse.
MRS. MAY WASHBY, East Liverpool, Ohio.
RUTH WILDEY, Boulder, Colo., employe.
BLANCHE YOUNGE, employe of clinic.
MISS MABEL YOUNG, East Cleveland.
LUELLA SCHOEN, Cleveland.
MISS PORTER, address unknown.
OSCAR BIELFHEIT, address unknown.
MAX ENGELMAN, Cleveland.
AGNES LOGAN, Cleveland.
MARY MULLEN, Cleveland.
MISS MARGARET MULLEN, Cleveland.
SAMUEL NUCCIO, Cleveland.
MISS MINNIE PONTIUS, Cleveland.
MISS LAURA ROBERTS, Cleveland.
MISS FAY F. ROSS, Ashland, Ohio.
NIXON WALFORD, Emlenton, Pa.
M. R. SHAW, address unknown.
MILO ALTRO SCHRIEBER, address unknown.
MRS. H. L. MORTON, Cleveland.
(Many thanks to GenDisasters for putting all this information at my fingertips. There are many many articles out there on the web, but this was the most concise description of events. This originally appeared on GenDisasters on Nov 12 2007 and was transcribed by Stu Beitler.)
Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes
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Traffic Advisory for Labor Day Weekend Bay Bridge Closure
Arcata Chamber of Commerce
Arcatas California Welcome Center
1635 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521-4573
Phone: 707.822.3619
Fax: 707.822.3515
August 28, 2009
Traffic Advisory for Labor Day Weekend Bay Bridge Closure
Arcata — Arcatas California Welcome Center wishes to inform travelers of the Labor Day weekend closure of the Bay Bridge beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3. The bridge will reopen by 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 as Caltrans completes an essential and unprecedented construction feat.
This is one of the last, busiest travel times of the summer, said Brenda Bishop Executive Director for Arcatas Chamber of Commerce and its California Welcome Center. We want to make sure that travelers plan ahead and are not caught off guard by the closure of one of the Bay Areas major bridges leading into San Francisco, the south bay, and the San Francisco airport.
The California Welcome Center provides travelers with the most current road conditions, fire updates and park and recreational closures. In addition, it supplies travelers with free maps, brochures, internet access and national, state and local information.
During the closure, motorists are encouraged to take public transit and/or alternate driving routes. The public can find the latest information on transportation alternatives at 511.org.
While the bridge is closed this year, a 300-foot-long double-deck section of the East Span will be cut and rolled out of the way, 150-feet above Yerba Buena Island (YBI). A new double-deck section will be moved into place to connect the bridge with a short detour.
Traffic will flow on the half-mile-long detour connecting the East Span to the YBI Tunnel until the new Bay Bridge opens. The traffic shift will allow crews to demolish a portion of the original bridge, and build a new (permanent) connection from the tunnel to the new East Span. The new eastbound and westbound roadway alignment will require traffic to slow down to 40 mph on the detour.
More travel information is available by stopping in at the California Welcome Center located at 1635 Heindon Rd. in Arcata, or by calling 707/-822-3619. The California Welcome Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

subset: commoncrawl


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White House summit cranks up push to better inform the public
Consumer advocates and agencies meet to simplify government data.
An all-day summit on a White House consumer awareness effort held on Friday in the National Archives and Records Administration auditorium is being called a success by the agency, academic and nonprofit sector representatives who attended the closed-to-the-press meeting.
Cass Sunstein, the Obama administration's chief of Information and Regulatory Affairs, described the event in a blog on Friday as an opportunity for "leading innovators and experts inside and outside of government" to share best practices and practical advice on how to use Smart Disclosure -- "a new tool that helps provide consumers with greater access to the information they need to make informed choices."
Highlighted by President Obama when he announced his September 2011 Open Government Partnership Action Plan, Smart Disclosure is a growing private and public-sector discipline that could help agencies better serve consumers by offering access to big data sets from the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and other agencies, and simplifying documents such as nutrition facts and automobile fuel economy labels, and health insurance benefits statements.
Sunstein sent all agency heads a memorandum in September 2011 giving policy guidance on Smart Disclosure. It defined the term as "the timely release of complex information and data in standardized, machine-readable formats in ways that enable consumers to make informed decisions." Developers have complained that government data sets are frequently lower quality than their commercial counterparts. Figures, for instance, often will include typos or the data will be presented in PDFs and other document formats that make the information difficult to manipulate.
In addition to posting data sets, the guidance said, "Agencies are encouraged to collaborate with other agencies and the public to ensure the usefulness of the data sets and to increase awareness of their availability. Posting such data sets can also facilitate regulatory goals, often at low cost, by fostering transparency and promoting accountability."
An interagency task force run by the White House National Science and Technology Council is coordinating implementation, including the Friday summit, which was hosted by the White House and the Archives with support from ideas42, a New York City-based nonprofit founded by academics seeking to apply behavioral economics to business and government.
Speakers at the filled-to-capacity event attended by 300 included Sunstein; Mark Zuckerman, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council; Richard Thaler, professor of economics and behavioral science at the University of Chicago business school; Chris Meyer, vice president for external affairs at Consumers Union; and Tim O'Reilly, founder and chief executive officer of O'Reilly Media Inc.
The 70 agencies and offices represented included the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Treasury Department and the Federal Communications Commission. Following the speeches, agency representatives were asked to informally pitch a Smart Disclosure idea and then discuss it in breakout groups.
"The tremendous response to this summit, and the participation of such prominent speakers and panelists, shows that Smart Disclosure is coming of age," Joel Gurin, senior consumer adviser at the FCC and chair of Task Force on Smart Disclosure, told Government Executive. "It's being recognized as an approach that can help consumers, increase transparency and ultimately make consumer markets more efficient."
Thaler, who told the crowd of his own nightmarish experience dealing with Medicare Part D online information on behalf of a friend's elderly mother, said on Monday that "the conference was a great success and illustrates a major White House initiative that has not really been noticed by the press." He called the effort "great for consumers and new businesses."
Will Tucker, a senior associate at ideas42.org, said, "The goal is to educate and build the policy tools of smart disclosure as well as build momentum for getting some new initiatives in place, and both happened."
An Archives spokeswoman said the event is aligned with her agency's mission. "We're substantively very interested in these issues, and particularly in proactive disclosure of government information, including huge data sets that can be used by vendors, researchers and individuals," said Miriam Nisbet, director of the Office of Government Information Services, which is the Freedom of Information Act ombudsman for the executive branch. "Archives is also concerned about managing contemporary government records, so we help agencies manage their data and decide what has to be preserved. We're looking at how things can be improved govermentwide."
One writer, Alex Howard of the O'Reilly Radar online newsletter, observed the proceedings and described the session online. He said his boss offered 10 key lessons. "The future of smart disclosure includes more than quarterly data disclosure from the [Securities and Exchange Commission] or banks," Howard wrote. "If you're really lining up with the future, you have to think about real-time data and real-time data systems."
This article has been updated to clarify Alex Howard's description of the proceedings and to add a link to his report.
NEXT STORY: Romney's staff plays April Fool's prank on boss


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Africa's Growth dependent on the reformation of its Public Sector
Written by Natalie Zimmelman
Investment in Africa yields less than half the return measured in growth terms than in other developing regions. This coupled with the fact that Africa faces a dearth of skills - South Africa alone requires more than 829,000 high-skilled workers across a range of occupations - is reflective of the challenge the continent faces in meeting investor demands in a growing competitive economic arena.
According to research conducted by the Association of Accounting Technicians, South Africa, African talent pools are not catering for the rising skills demand that comes on the back of exceptional economic growth in Africa, which shortage has been more visible during this period of global recovery as traditional investors look to new ground for investment opportunities.
In reality, Africa is looking to grow 4.5 percent this year and 4.8 percent in 2013, but, the continent is in a financially awkward position where skilled labour on the continent is hired at a premium price because of labour market dominance. This, coupled with high numbers of unemployed (50 percent of which are aged between 15 to 24 years, the segment of the population expected to be part of the labour force) threatens to, over the long term, hinder African countries from reaching its economic targets.
The challenge faced by the region has brought to light the need for closer and more government and private sector partnerships to resolve the skills shortage in a way that will see the reduction of unnecessary spending, especially in public sector departments that manage investments coming into the continent.
The risk of working within silos in combating the skills gap within the continent is that the region's public sector will continue to struggle with unfit and unqualified workers that are unable to manage Government resources effectively and efficiently, causing the loss of billions of US Dollars annually for Governments on the continent, which is particularly unfortunate as we move into a time of exponential potential growth in the region.
In recognition of the wide-spread problem though, Africa's public sector is re-evaluating how it can better facilitate economic growth and vibrancy through ensuring that its own departments (which are the face of any country's investment landscape) are well-run (i.e. how to avoid wasteful expenditure through financial mismanagement, the creation of unnecessary red tape, and delays in project implementation through poor protocol follow-through).
Combating such challenges in order to ensure the positive economic output of the continent is a journey that is long and with more than one obstacle in its way although it can be sped up by governments doing more to facilitate the support of other stakeholders in implementing effective interventions. This must see all stakeholders – Government, professional bodies in all sectors, and businesses - have a proper understanding and show real commitment to resolving the skills gap.
The solution may be multi-fold, but Africa must look at shaping a locally-brewed approach that takes region-specific issues into account. Countries' that have already excelled in committing to an education/training system that effectively feeds major industries is Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana. Botswana, for instance, has identified the need for accounting specialists to support its economic goals and already has about 11,000 accounting technicians, with 16 different technical training providers.
South Africa is also making progress with the development of specialised local and national government qualifications for accounting technicians. More than 4,000 municipal financial employees have been trained by the Association of Accounting Technicians, South Africa, which training is being championed by a Government that has prioritised the up-skilling of its own workforce. For example, Eskom, South Africa's largest and only energy supplier, enrolled more than 150 employees for the qualification in 2006 and the process has been an on-going initiative for Eskom employees. With an accounting qualification and understanding of the basics in financial management, Eskom's is now saving on unnecessary audits and have better financial governance as a result of public/private sector interventions.
The implementation of such skills development strategies and investment plans by the public sectors of African countries is tapping into the region's labour potential in a way that builds a 'fit-for-purpose' labour force that not only facilitates better investment processes, but acts as an agent of growth and development on the continent (i.e. reduces the continent's reliance on foreign skills or costly skills, and creates sustainable employment opportunities for locals). The ripple effect to a country, over the long term, is that it continues to bridge the gap between economic growth in the region and social development (resulting in the up-liftment of people from dire poverty, which is a major issue for Africa's Governments whose population remains largely rural). The success of the continent to exploit economic opportunities in a way that benefits its people will ultimately be Africa's economic litmus test.
Natalie Zimmelman is General Manager of the Association of Accounting Technicians, South Africa, AAT(SA). Part of her responsibility is to drive AAT(SA), which is a joint venture between SAICA and AAT(UK). Zimmelman has extensive experience in the education sector, having previously worked at Fasset as the Policies and Projects Manager and at the University of the Witwatersrand's Administration Department and Students Employment Programme as an Administrative Officer and Placement Officer, respectively. Zimmelman holds an MBA, with distinction from the University of Pretoria and a Higher Diploma in Corporate Law from the University of Johannesburg, for her undergraduate degree she studied a BSc in Biological Life Sciences.


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Yawning cools the brain
If your head is overheated, there's a good chance you'll yawn, according to a new study that found the primary purpose of yawning is to control brain temperature.
The finding solves several mysteries about yawning, such as why it's most commonly done just before and after sleeping, why certain diseases lead to excessive yawning, and why breathing through the nose and cooling off the forehead often stop yawning.
The key yawn instigator appears to be brain temperature.
"Brains are like computers," says Andrew Gallup, a researcher in the Department of Biology at Binghamton University who led the study, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Animal Behavior.
"They operate most efficiently when cool, and physical adaptations have evolved to allow maximum cooling of the brain."
He and colleagues Michael Miller and Associate Professor Anne Clark analysed yawning in parakeets as representative vertebrates because the birds have relatively large brains, live wild in Australia, which is subject to frequent temperature swings, and, most importantly, do not engage in contagious yawning, as humans and some other animals do.
Contagious yawning is thought to be an evolved mechanism for keeping groups alert so they "remain vigilant against danger," says Gallup.
Thermal window
For the bird study, the scientists exposed parakeets to three different conditions: increasing temperature, high temperature and a control temperature.
While yawning did not increase during the latter two conditions, it more than doubled when the researchers increased the bird's ambient temperature.
"Based on the brain cooling hypothesis, we suggest that there should be a thermal window in which yawning should occur," says Gallup.
"For instance, yawning should not occur when ambient temperatures exceed body temperature, as taking a deep inhalation of warm air would be counterproductive.
"In addition, yawning when it is extremely cold may be maladaptive, as this may send unusually cold air to the brain, which may produce a thermal shock."
The parakeets yawned as predicted.
It's now believed yawning operates like a radiator for birds and mammals.
If air in the atmosphere is cooler than brain and body temperatures, taking it in quickly cools facial blood that, in turn, cools the brain and may even alter blood flow.
Prior studies reveal yawning leads to a heightened state of arousal, so a morning yawn may function somewhat like a cup of coffee in providing a jolt of energy.
The new findings also explain why tired individuals often yawn, since both exhaustion and sleep deprivation have been shown to increase deep brain temperatures, again prompting a yawn-driven cool down. Yawning additionally appears to facilitate transitional states of the brain, such as going from sleep to waking periods.
Seizure signal
Professor Gordon Gallup Jr, a psychologist at the State University of New York, Albany, did not work on the study, but, as Andrew Gallup's father, paid close attention to the research.
He is also a leading expert on the science of yawning and other widespread evolved traits.
"It is interesting to note that instances of excessive yawning in humans may be indicative of brain cooling problems," says Gallup Jr, pointing out that patients with multiple sclerosis often experience bouts of excessive yawning "and MS involves thermoregulatory dysfunction."
He says, "Bouts of excessive yawning often precede the onset of seizures in epileptic patients, and predict the onset of headaches in people who suffer from migraines."
In the future, researchers may focus more on brain temperature and its role in diseases and their symptoms. But the new study on yawning changes the popular notion that yawns are mere signs of boredom.
On the contrary, as Gallup says, "yawning more accurately reflects a mechanism that maintains attention, and therefore should be looked at as a compliment!"


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I.P in these forms.The P-sound, like the K- and T-sounds, was not aspirated in the ancient language; whence the spelling TRIVMPE for triumphe, in the Song of the Arval Brothers.As an initial, P combines, in pure Latin words, only with the consonants l and r; the combinations pn, ps, and pt belong to words borrowed from the Greek, with the sole exception of the pron. suffix pte.— Hence it often disappears before t; as TOLOMEA, Inscr. Fabr. 9, 438.—It has also been dropped before l in the words lanx, Gr. πλαξ; latus, Gr. πλατύς; later, Gr. πλίνθος, linter, Gr. πλυντήρ, and others (Corss. Ausspr. 1, 114).—As a medial, its combination with s and t was so acceptable to the Latins that ps and pt are often put for bs and bt; so, OPSIDESQVE and OPTENVI in the Epitaphs of the Scipios; and so, too, in later inscrr.: APSENS, APSENTI, SVPSIGNARE, etc., and in MSS.—A final p occurs only in the apocopated volup.For the very frequent interchange of p and b, see under B.—P is put for v in opilio for ovilio, from ovis.—An instance of its commutation with palatals appears in lupus and λύκος, and perhaps also spolium and σκῦλον, spuma and O.H.G. scum, Germ. Schaum, as, on the other hand, equus and ἵππος, palumba and columba, jecur and ἧπαρ; cf., also, the letter Q.—Its commutation with a lingual is shown in pavo and ταώς, and perh. also in hospes and hostis. —P is assimilated to a following f in officina for opificina, and is altogether elided by syncope in Oscus for Opscus.—It is euphonically inserted between ms and mt: sumpsi, sumptum, hiemps for hiems; cf.: exemplum, templum, and late Lat. dampnum.—It is suppressed in amnis for ap-nis from apa = aqua.As an abbreviation, P denotes most frequently the prænomen Publius, but also stands for parte, pater, pedes, pia, pondo, populus, posuerunt, publicus, etc. P. C. stands for patres conscripti, patronus civitatis or coloniae, ponendum curavit, potestate censoriā, etc. P. M. pontifex maximus, patronus municipii, posuit merito. P. P. pater patriae, praepositus, primi pilus, pro parte. P. R. populus Romanus. P. S. pecunia sua.
P , p , the fifteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, the character for which is derived from the ancient form of the Greek II (P or P), as is shown by inscriptions and coins, which exhibit the


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Advanced Computing, Mathematics and Data
Research Highlights
October 2008
New Cray Computer Broadens Potential of High-Performance Computing
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's new Cray XMT was showcased in the Fall 2008 issue of SciDAC Review. The Cray XMT provides an alternative platform for addressing computations that stymie current HPC systems, holding the potential to substantially accelerate data analysis and predictive analytics for many complex challenges in energy, national security, and fundamental science that traditional computing cannot do.
PNNL's Daniel Chavarria-Miranda, Deborah Gracio, Andres Marquez, Jarek Nieplocha, Chad Scherrer, and former staff member Heidi Sofia contributed to the article. Other contributors include David Bader and Kamesh Madduri, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jonathan Berry and Bruce Hendrickson, Sandia National Laboratories; Kristyn Maschhoff, Cray, Inc.
Read the full article: Cray XMT Brings New Energy to High-Performance Computing.


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2012 Open Government News Archive
Retirement Estimator Just Got Better
For several years, the Retirement Estimator has been a great way to get immediate and personalized estimates of future retirement benefits based on different retirement situations. Earlier this month, we gave the estimate page a new look, allowing users to read their estimates at a glance, in table format!
Workers can use the Retirement Estimator to test different retirement ages, learn how to maximize retirement benefits by delaying retirement, and find out how working after retirement might affect benefits.
The Best Time to Contact Social Security During the Holidays
If you need to conduct business with Social Security during the holiday season, please remember that our offices will be closed on December 25 and January 1. In addition, anyone calling or visiting a Social Security office between December 26 and New Year's Eve might experience longer waits than usual.
However, our online services are available even on holidays. Anyone can visit www.ssa.gov to complete a number of transactions, such as getting a Social Security Statement, applying for retirement, disability, or spouse's benefits, checking the status of pending applications, getting instant, personalized estimates of future benefits with the Retirement Estimator, requesting a replacement Medicare card, or applying for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs.
Find a list of online services and their hours of operation at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices.
Another Way to Stay in the Know
There are two other easy ways to get Social Security news and information in a flash. One is to "like" us on Facebook. Simply click the Facebook icon on our homepage and then select "like." You also can follow Social Security on Twitter by clicking on the Twitter icon on our homepage.
Whether you prefer posts, tweets, or good old-fashioned newsletter articles, you can find them all at our home page: www.ssa.gov.
Subscribe to Social Security Update today and you'll always be in the know when it comes to Social Security news. All we need is your e-mail address. Subscribe here.
Emergency? We Have a Page for That
In an emergency, you may need the services of Social Security. To assist when severe weather or other emergencies occur, we maintain a special web page to share important information about our services.
Social Security's emergency page keeps the public up to date on Social Security office closures. It also gives information on signing up for direct deposit. With electronic payments, people who have been displaced don't have to worry about where their next payment will be mailed to — it will show up in their bank account on schedule.
The site also provides information on emergency payments and links to the websites of other organizations that provide emergency services such as FEMA, Ready America, Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund, and the U.S. Postal Service.
Acquaint yourself with the emergency page at www.ssa.gov/agency/emergency.
Social Security Announces New Compassionate Allowances Conditions
Fast Track Disability Process Will Now Include 200 Conditions
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced 35 additional Compassionate Allowances conditions are in effect, bringing the total number of conditions in the expedited disability process to 200. Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security's standards for disability benefits. The program fast-tracks disability decisions to ensure that Americans with the most serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children.
"We have achieved another milestone for the Compassionate Allowances program, reaching 200 conditions," Commissioner Astrue said. "Nearly 200,000 people with severe disabilities nationwide have been quickly approved, usually in less than two weeks, through the program since it began in October 2008."
WISE Webinar for Ticket to Work
If you are a Social Security disability beneficiary and want to work, the Ticket to Work Program can provide the support you need to transition to greater financial independence and self-sufficiency.
To find out more about our Ticket to Work Program and learn how and why you should consider community service on your career path, watch our webinar, "Exploring Community Service as a Pathway to Employment: A Webinar for Social Security Beneficiaries," on December 5, 2012 at 3:00pm EST. Register for this free web event.
Spanish webinar now on YouTube
Do you, or someone you know, prefer to do business with us in Spanish? Go to YouTube to watch and share our webinar, "¡Servicios del Seguro Social por Internet - en Espanol!" The webinar describes several Spanish online services, including the Retirement Estimator and applications for Social Security retirement, Medicare, and Extra Help with the cost of Medicare prescription drugs.
Social Security's Open Government Plan 2.0 is Cover Story in Federal Managers Association Magazine
In the Fall 2012 edition of its quarterly magazine, the Federal Managers Association (FMA) highlights the growth of open government at Social Security. The cover article outlines key elements of the agency's refreshed Open Government plan, including a summary of milestones achieved in the first plan and new commitments for the next two years.
- Read the full FMA magazine article
- View the refreshed Open Government Plan for more information on how Social Security is advancing open government to support the agency's strategic mission and goals.
Register for Work Incentive Seminar Events (WISE) to Learn About the Ticket to Work Program or Work Incentives
Social Security's Ticket to Work program supports career development for people with disabilities who are preparing to work. The Ticket program is free and voluntary and offers beneficiaries with disabilities access to employment.
To find out more about our Ticket to Work Program, get some resume writing and job interview tips, and to gain some insight into what employers are looking for in a potential employee, watch our webinar, "Exploring Community Service as a Pathway to Employment: A Webinar for Social Security Disability Beneficiaries," on October 31, 2012 at 3:00pm EST. Register for this free web event.
January Retirees Should Apply Now
If you are looking to retire in January 2013, now is the time to apply. The best place to apply is online. It's so easy!
In most cases, as soon as an application is submitted electronically, that's it. There are no forms to sign or paperwork to complete. In rare cases when we need additional information, Social Security will contact you. You're always first in line when you go online at www.ssa.gov/pgm/retirement.htm
Social Security Announces 1.7 Percent Benefit Increase for 2013
Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 62 million Americans will increase 1.7 percent in 2013, the Social Security Administration announced today.
The 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 56 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2013. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2012.
Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $113,700 from $110,100. Of the estimated 163 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2013, nearly 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum.
Information about Medicare changes for 2013, when announced, will be available at www.Medicare.gov. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums.
The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated.
Register for Work Incentive Seminar Events (WISE) to Learn About the Ticket to Work Program or Work Incentives
Social Security's Ticket to Work program supports career development for people with disabilities who are preparing to work. The Ticket program is free and voluntary and offers beneficiaries with disabilities access to employment.
To find out more about our Ticket to Work Program, get some resume writing and job interview tips, and to gain some insight into what employers are looking for in a potential employee, watch our webinar, "Hiring People with Disabilities: The Employer's Point of View," on October 10, 2012 at 3:00pm EST. Register for this free web event.
Social Security's Open Government Portal – A New Look and Feel
In our continuing quest to ensure our Open Government portal remains an open resource for the public, we have redesigned the page to make the most relevant information more easily accessible. We aimed to make the layout more streamlined and simple, the menu more intuitive and easy to navigate, and above all, present the most popular information front and center! Improving our transparency and accountability to the public we serve is our priority. We will continually improve this website based on your feedback. We encourage you to share your ideas and comments about our page redesign at email@example.com.
Webcast: Information for Individuals Who Prefer to Do Business with Us in Spanish
Are you a Spanish speaker and interested in information about Social Security, in Spanish? Or maybe, do you know someone who prefers to do business with us in Spanish? Find out how you, or someone you know, can do business in Spanish, using our online services! Watch our previously recorded webinar,"¡Servicios del Seguro Social por Internet - en Espanol!", presented in Spanish, to learn how you can get an estimate of your future retirement estimates and apply for Social Security retirement benefits, Medicare, or the Extra Help with the cost of Medicare prescription drugs.
Social Security Publishes Revised Open Government Plan 2.0
We've posted our Open Government Plan 2.0 update, which reflects our continuing commitment to the principles of openness and accountability. As a government agency that touches the lives of all Americans, our efforts to be more transparent about our work, increase participation in dialogues affecting our programs, and encourage collaboration with other organizations, all work towards Social Security's mission of delivering services that meet the changing needs of the public.
Two years ago, we released our first Open Government Plan. Our refreshed plan includes additional input we received from Open Government stakeholders, the public and our employees; summarizes the progress we have made in implementing Open Government principles at our agency; and outlines additional commitments we expect to meet in the next two years.
We encourage you to read through our refreshed Open Government Plan, and share your ideas and comments with us at email@example.com.
You may follow our progress on this plan and other Open Government activities on our website.
Referrals Help OIG Combat Social Security Fraud
Social Security's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is responsible for detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in Social Security's programs and operations. OIG does that, in part, by taking appropriate action on allegations of fraud submitted by you, your clients, and other members of the public.
Of the 103,567 allegations of fraud the agency received in fiscal year 2011, roughly one-third came from Social Security employees, one-third came from public citizens, and the rest came from other government agencies, law enforcement, Congress, and other sources.
To assist the OIG in stopping Social Security fraud, visit https://oig.ssa.gov. While there, please check out the office's new blog as well as how to follow the OIG on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Congressional Testimony
On July 25, two Social Security executives testified before two different Congressional committees.
Carolyn Colvin, Deputy Commissioner of Social Security, appeared before the Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources to discuss the Supplemental Security Income program. She presented what the agency has learned "through 40 years of experience in providing assistance under a complex, means-tested program, and how we have used technology and other innovative approaches to efficiently and effectively make sure that only eligible individuals receive the right amount of benefits at the right time." Read the transcript.
LaTina Burse Greene, Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Retirement and Disability Policy, testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging about the importance of the Social Security retirement decision, and how it affects women. "When people ask us 'what is the best age to start receiving retirement benefits?' we tell them there is no 'best age' for everyone and that, ultimately, it is their choice. It is a personal decision that should be based on a number of factors, such as their current cash needs, health, and family longevity," Greene explained. Read the transcript.
Stay up to date on all of Social Security's Congressional testimony.
Social Security and Kaiser Permanente Begin Partnership to Speed Up Disability Decisions: Unprecedented Agreement Will Cut Cost, Save Time and Improve Service
The Social Security Administration announced today that Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation's largest healthcare providers, will electronically transmit complete medical records for its patients to the agency with the appropriate consent. Social Security requests about 70,000 patient files from Kaiser Permanente each year so this seamless new system will save time and money for both partners as well as allow Social Security to make faster and more accurate decisions.
Over the last few years, Social Security had entered into similar agreements with several smaller providers to exchange medical records electronically over the Nationwide Health Information Network. Today's agreement marks the agency's first move into using health information technology on a large-scale basis.
"I am confident that people will look back at today's announcement as the most significant improvement in our disability determination process since the program began in 1956. In today's world it makes no sense for us to chase down paper records on an individual basis," said Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security. "We are thrilled that Kaiser Permanente is now one of our key agents for change."
"Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to supporting safe and secure health information exchange for members and our work with Social Security will enable our patients to obtain quicker disability decisions on their benefits," said Lisa Caplan, Kaiser Permanente's Senior Vice President and Business Information Officer. "We are delighted to be working with such an innovative agency."
More information on Social Security's use of health IT is available at www.ssa.gov/hit.
Testimony before Senate Finance Committee
Recently, Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue testified before Congress about the service and value we provide to the American public.
In his testimony, he discussed the agency's accomplishments the past few years and the resources the agency needs in order to continue providing outstanding public service.
"Our accomplishments demonstrate the direct correlation between funding and, " Astrue stated.
Social Security Releases Popular Baby Names for 2011
On Monday, May 14, 2012, Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced the top baby names for 2011 on the Today show. Social Security started compiling baby name lists in 1997, and the agency's website offers lists of baby names for each year since 1880. Social Security is America's source for most popular baby names because parents supply this information to the agency when applying for a child's Social Security number at the time of the child's birth. Check the Baby Names page on May 18th for the 2011 list of most popular names by State.
The top baby names announcement drives a lot of traffic to the Social Security website and helps to promote other important information about Social Security programs and services, including the Extra Help Program and the new online Social Security statement.
Social Security Statement Now Available Online
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced an online version of the Social Security Statement is now available at www.ssa.gov. The new online Statement provides eligible workers with transparent, secure and convenient access to their Social Security earnings and benefit information.
"Our new online Social Security Statement is simple, easy-to-use and provides people with estimates they can use to plan for their retirement," Commissioner Astrue said "The online Statement also provides estimates for disability and survivors benefits, making the Statement an important financial planning tool. People should get in the habit of checking their online Statement each year, around their birthday, for example."
The online Statement helps with financial planning and provides workers a convenient way to determine whether their earnings are accurately posted to their Social Security records. This feature is important because Social Security benefits are based on average earnings over a person's lifetime. If the earnings information is not accurate, the person may not receive all the benefits to which he or she is entitled.
The online Statement also provides the opportunity to save or print the personalized Statement for financial planning discussions with family or a financial planner.
Providing the online Statement through our new, robust verification process is one of the first milestones in our Open Government flagship initiative to make Social Security a more open agency.
For more information about the new online Statement, please go to www.ssa.gov/mystatement.
SSA and DoD Collaborate on Initiative for Wounded Warriors Applying for Disability Benefits
The Social Security Administration and the Department of Defense (DoD) are working together to improve access to disability benefits for the nation's Wounded Warriors, service members, veterans, and their dependents. A new nationwide project enables Social Security disability case processing sites to receive military medical records from multiple DoD facilities with a single request to a centralized DoD site. As of today, this initiative is in its first phase of nationwide expansion.
"Receiving electronic medical records for our Wounded Warriors and other military personnel will significantly shorten the time it takes to make a disability decision," said Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security. "This new process will improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of the disability program."
The new DoD-Social Security collaboration consolidates requests for medical records from Social Security to a single location that has access to DoD records in a central electronic repository. Among other advantages, this will yield faster delivery of DoD medical records to Social Security, and reduce the time it takes to make a medical decision on a disability claim.
A key project milestone in Social Security's recently published Open Government Plan 2.0, this collaborative effort is the first step towards the long-term goal of a fully automated solution of improving medical information sharing using health information technology and the Nationwide Health Information Network Exchange.
For more information on Social Security's use of health IT, visit www.ssa.gov/hit.
SSA Recognized for FOIA Success
On March 12, the Department of Justice kicked off Sunshine Week with a celebration marking, among other things, the third anniversary of the release of Attorney General Holder's FOIA Guidelines.
Social Security's Deputy Commissioner, Carolyn W. Colvin, was among representatives from four federal agencies to receive recognition and speak at this commemoration. Ms. Colvin highlighted Social Security's own Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) successes over the last year. Other representatives hailed from the Federal Communications Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of the Interior.
In his remarks, the Attorney General recognized that Sunshine Week presents the government with the opportunity to realize the promise of FOIA, fulfilling what President Obama has called "a profound national commitment to ensuring an open government."
For more information about Social Security's FOIA activities, visit the agency's FOIA webpage. Information about the activities of all federal agencies, is available in agency Annual FOIA Reports and Chief FOIA Officer Reports, on the Office IP website and FOIA.gov.
Left to right: Jasson Seiden, David Lu, Melanie Ann Pustay (DOJ), Tony West (DOJ), Stacy Rodgers, Carolyn Colvin, Eric Holder (DOJ), Mona Finch, Dawn Wiggins, Patricia Bellamy, Dan Callahan, Anthony Tookes
Social Security Board of Trustees: Projected Trust Fund Exhaustion Three Years Sooner Than Last Year
On Monday, April 23, 2012, the Social Security Board of Trustees released its annual report on the financial health of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined assets of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds will be exhausted in 2033, three years sooner than projected last year. The DI Trust Fund will be exhausted in 2016, two years earlier than last year's estimate. The Trustees also project that OASDI program costs will exceed non-interest income in 2012 and will remain higher throughout the remainder of the 75-year period.
Open Government at Social Security: A Refreshed Plan
We published our Open Government Plan 2.0, which highlights successes from our 2010 plan and lays out new commitments for increasing transparency, expanding opportunities for public participation, and enhancing efforts to collaborate with other organizations to improve service to the public. We sought public feedback in developing this plan, and now invite further review and ideas for improving it.
SSA's Medical Release Form Goes Electronic
On March 22, 2012, Commissioner Astrue signed an Open Letter to Healthcare Providers, Health Information Managers, and Medical Records Administrators about Social Security's new electronic signature process for the Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration (Form SSA-827).
The SSA-827 gives us a claimant's authorization to obtain medical and other information we need to determine whether the individual is disabled. Under the current online application process, claimants must print, sign, and mail a paper copy to a Social Security office.
Starting April 21, 2012, adults who apply online for disability benefits will have the option to electronically sign and submit their SSA-827s. Once signed, the form goes directly into Social Security's system. We expect the new process to improve our process and provide better service to our customers. Specifically, it will reduce the disability application processing time for applicants, which can result in their receiving much needed medical insurance coverage and cash benefits sooner. Learn more about Social Security's new electronic signature process.
Leading the U.S. Social Security Administration: Insights from Commissioner Michael Astrue
The Social Security Administration's Commissioner, Michael Astrue, was recently interviewed on the Federal News Radio's "IBM Business of Government Hour." Commissioner Astrue discussed the agency's complex management challenges; how we are working to reduce disability backlogs and improve our service and stewardship efforts; and what the future holds for the Social Security Administration.
Sunshine Week
March 11-17 is Sunshine Week. This year's theme is "Put Sunshine in Government." All week long, this national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information is celebrated by government, news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know. Since its launch in March 2005, people have celebrated this initiative in mid-March each year to coincide with President James Madison's birthday on March 16th. Madison, who was instrumental in ratifying the Constitution, once wrote, "knowledge will forever govern ignorance," and "people should arm themselves with the power that knowledge gives."
Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels, and to give them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger. The week highlights the public's right to know what its government is doing, and why. For more information we invite you to explore this open government site and to visit our freedom of information webpage.
Refreshing Our Open Government Plan
It is time to refresh our Open Government Plan, which will highlight our successes from the first one and lay out new commitments going forward. Two years ago, we published Social Security's first Open Government Plan. In it, we outlined our steps to increase transparency, public participation, and collaboration with other organizations to improve service to the public. We invite you to contribute your thoughts and ideas for our refreshed plan, which we expect to publish in April.
Webcast: New Requirement to File Disability Appeals Online
Beginning March 16, 2012, the Social Security Administration is requiring representatives who request, and are eligible for, direct fee payment, to file reconsiderations on medically denied Title II and Title XVI disability or blindness claims, using the Internet Disability Appeal web portal found at www.ssa.gov.
To find out more about filing appeals electronically, watch our webcast, "Filing a Disability Appeal Online," which will be available beginning March 7, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. EST. Register for this free web event.
America Saves Week!
From February 19 – February 26, 2012, the Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes America Saves Week, a national campaign to promote financial stability. This annual event is an opportunity to encourage good savings behavior and enhance financial security. SSA supports the effort to bring greater awareness to the importance of building a financial safety net.
Social Security is the foundation on which to build retirement security, but other savings and investments are necessary. The sooner you start, the more time you will have to save for a comfortable future. For many years, SSA has been at the forefront of financial literacy and promoting good savings habits through public presentations.
When thinking about retirement, be sure to plan for the long term. Watch this video from Social Security's Kojuan Almond, for helpful tips!
To learn how to save and invest for retirement, visit www.mymoney.gov. The website provides helpful information furnished by over 20 federal agencies, including SSA.
To help determine how much you need to save, go to www.asec.org and click on the Ballpark Estimate link.
For more information on America Saves Week, go to www.americasavesweek.org/.
Spanish Language Webinar!
On Thursday, February 23rd at 2pm EST, we will host the agency's first-ever Spanish-language webinar, entitled,"¡Servicios del Seguro Social por Internet - en Espanol!". We will present and describe the Spanish-language Internet services, including applications for retirement, Medicare, and Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs. We will also describe the Spanish Retirement Estimator, a tool that offers personalized estimates of future Social Security retirement benefits. The webinar will include a live interactive segment during which participants may ask questions about the new Spanish online applications.
Looking Back and Looking Forward
We'd like to share our 2011 Performance and Accountability Report with you. The report combines the agency's annual performance report with its audited financial statements to provide full disclosure of financial and programmatic operations. It also describes Social Security's programs and organization, and how the agency benefits the public and achieves its mission.
Please look for it at www.ssa.gov/finance/.
We look forward to working with you to reach our common goals in 2012. Happy New Year from all of us at Social Security.
Patty Duke Applies Online for Social Security and Medicare
After years of telling people they can apply online for Social Security in their pajamas, Patty Duke has taken her own advice. Duke, who turned 65 in December, applied online for retirement and Medicare benefits from home at www.ssa.gov.
"I urge my fellow baby boomers to go online to www.ssa.gov," said Duke. "If you're not sure how to get started on the computer, ask a loved one to help you out. I did, and it was so easy."
Watch the YouTube video of Patty Duke applying for benefits at www.youtube.com/user/SocialSecurityOnline.
View Current Open Government News
Other SSA News and Updates
Open Government
The Social Security Administration is committed to creating an open and transparent government through the following initiatives:


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MANCHESTER, N.H. — Speaking via Skype from Russia, Edward Snowden told an audience of supporters in New Hampshire on Saturday that he is willing to be extradited to the United States if the federal government would guarantee he would get a fair trial.
The former National Security Agency contractor in 2013 leaked details of a secret government eavesdropping program and left the country. He faces U.S. charges that could land him in prison for up to 30 years.
Snowden spoke Saturday at the New Hampshire Liberty Forum, heavily attended by libertarians. WMUR reported that forum organizers did not allow the media to video record his remarks.
"I've told the government I would return if they would guarantee a fair trial where I can make a public interest defense of why this was done and allow a jury to decide," Snowden told his audience.
Snowden has previously spoken of making offers to the government to return home and his willingness to discuss a plea deal and even go to jail. Last year, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said a plea deal with Snowden was a possibility, but Snowden told the BBC in an interview in October that he and his lawyers were still waiting to hear from the government.
Snowden's revelations about the NSA, Britain's GCHQ and other intelligence agencies set off an international debate about spies' powers to monitor personal communications, and about the balance between security and privacy. Critics say his disclosures harmed the ability of the United States and its allies to fight terrorism.
To some, he is a traitor; to others, a hero.
Saturday, Snowden said that while some of his former colleagues at the NSA and the Central Intelligence Agency were sympathetic to his beliefs concerning individual privacy and freedom, others said "the Constitution doesn't really matter."


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The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced they will hold at least five joint public hearings between now and December regarding the future of the World Trade Center site as part of a comprehensive public outreach campaign. The LMDC and Port Authority released a detailed plan [attached] for public input coinciding with each phase of the PA/LMDC study of options for the World Trade Center site, adjacent areas and related transportation infrastructure. The first public hearing will take place on Thursday, May 23 at Pace University in Lower Manhattan.
The outreach campaign features several public hearings and at least one hi-tech modern town forum in July accommodating 5,000 people; meetings with family members of victims, public officials, LMDC Advisory Councils, and community, civic, planning and transportation organizations including those representing New York/New Jersey PATH commuters; multiple advertising runs in daily, community and foreign language newspapers and public service announcements; and widespread distribution of proposals and documents in several languages at locations throughout Lower Manhattan, as well as on the Internet.
LMDC Chairman John C. Whitehead said, "This is an important update by the Governor and the Mayor since it illustrates the significant progress being made in the recovery operations and the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan. It also underscores how the teamwork by the many major organizations involved is paying off in impressive results."
Port Authority Chairman Jack G. Sinagra said, "The public will play a key role in shaping the future of Lower Manhattan. With their input, we will develop a world-class plan that will serve as a model for redevelopment throughout the nation. We also want to ensure that whatever is developed at the site is done in a respectful way that meets the needs of all residents in the New York and New Jersey region."
Port Authority Vice Chairman Charles A. Gargano said, "The families of victims of the World Trade Center tragedy, as well as public officials and transportation and community groups, must have a strong voice in there building of Lower Manhattan. They must be assured that a respectful memorial will be built to honor those who lost their lives, and that an improved transportation system will rise from the devastation caused by the September 11 attacks. And we will show the world that by working together, we will revive and rebuild."
Port Authority Executive Director Joseph J. Seymour said, "The Port Authority is committed to working closely and cooperatively with the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. to make sure we get feedback from all stakeholders including the families, advisory committees and the general public as this process moves forward. Public outreach is a critical part of the process and one that we take seriously. With this input, we will develop a consensus on the best redevelopment plan for the World Trade Center site and adjacent areas."
LMDC President Lou Tomson said, "Although we are still in the early stages of the planning process, public input has already proven invaluable in shaping the Preliminary Principles and Blueprint and the Residential Assistance program. This plan ensures the LMDC and Port Authority will continue to have the benefit of broad public input at each critical juncture."
The LMDC/PA study of the World Trade Center site, adjacent areas and related transportation infrastructure, will be completed in three phases, with the successful bidder to be announced next week. The first phase, to be released in early or mid July, will result in up to six conceptual options for the site, adjacent areas and related transportation infrastructure. The second phase, to be announced in September, will result in three options, and a final proposed plan will be released in December. Before and after each phase, LMDC and Port Authority will hold public hearings, meet with various public officials and groups, and provide other avenues for submitting public comment.
The first public hearing, to be held on May 23 at Pace University from 6pm to 9pm, is intended to provide an opportunity for public comment just as Phase I of the RFP gets underway. The hearing will consider ideas for the future of the site, adjacent areas and related transportation infrastructure, including those suggested in the LMDC Preliminary Principles and Blueprint.
To obtain a copy of the LMDC Preliminary Principles and Blueprint, visit LMDC's website at www.renewnyc.org. To obtain a copy of the RFP or public input process plan, visit the Port Authority website at www.PANYNJ.gov, or the LMDC website.


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By Bill Kenworthy
Legal researcher
and Kyonzte Hughes
Contributing writer
Throughout history artists have produced works which tested society's standards of decency. Society, or parts of it, may respond to these controversial works with harsh criticism and scorn. In free societies, artists may produce any type of work that their talent, imagination and means can support, whether it is controversial or not. However, the question arises: Do artists have the same freedom when their art is publicly funded by taxpayer dollars?
The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that the government is not required to subsidize artistic expression with public funds.1 But the Court has also found that once it does decide to provide funds for arts programs, the government cannot withdraw that funding, thus censoring certain works, because it disagrees with the viewpoint expressed in the work. In other words, while the government has great flexibility in determining which artists and programs to fund, it must do so in a manner consistent with the First Amendment and cannot do so in a vague or viewpoint-based way. As stated by the National Coalition Against Censorship, public funding for the arts does not allow the government to play the role of censor.
That being said, in 1989 Congress amended the law that created the National Endowment of the Arts to bar the use of NEA funds "to promote, disseminate, or produce materials which in the judgment of [the NEA] may be considered obscene, including but not limited to, depictions of sadomasochism, homoeroticism, the sexual exploitation of children, or individuals engaged in sex acts and which, when taken as a whole, do not have serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value." The NEA required all grant recipients to certify in advance that none of the funds would be used "to promote, disseminate, or produce materials which in the judgment of the NEA … may be considered obscene." In addition, Congress eliminated $45,000 from the NEA's budget.
The changes to the law came about as a reaction to two controversial works that were being shown in various U.S. cities in 1989. The first was the infamous "Piss Christ," a photograph of a crucifix immersed in urine, by Andres Serrano, who had received a $15,000 grant from the Southeast Center for Contemporary Art which in turn received funding from the NEA. The second was a retrospective exhibit of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe titled "The Perfect Moment." This exhibit was arranged by the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania using $30,000 of an NEA grant. The exhibit included homoerotic photographs, images of sadomasochism and, according to critics, child pornography.
The uproar over the Mapplethorpe exhibit led to its cancellation at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and to the arrest and trial of the director of Cincinnati's Contemporary Art Center on charges of pandering and obscenity after he allowed the exhibit to open at the center. The director, Dennis Barrie, was acquitted after a much-publicized six-month trial.
The 1989 NEA rules were challenged and found to be unconstitutionally vague by a U.S. District Court in California because the determination of what was obscene was left in the hands of the NEA. Even before the 1991 ruling — Bella Lewitzky Dance Foundation v. National Endowment for the Arts, 754 F. Supp. 774 (C.D. Cal. 1991) — members of Congress were debating ways to reform the NEA's grant process. In 1990, Congress adopted an amendment which directed the NEA to take into consideration "general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public."
This amendment led to a 1998 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the decency standard enacted by Congress. The ruling in National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley initially seemed a heavy blow to the First Amendment as a bulwark protecting artistic expression. In NEA v. Finley, the Court held that the NEA may consider public standards of decency in deciding which artists should receive federal grants.
However, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, writing for the majority, took the sting out of the law. She explained that the decency standard was merely advisory and simply added one more consideration to a variety of pre-existing subjective criteria.
Though some might argue that the decency standard infringes upon free speech because it allows the NEA to favor certain viewpoints over others, the consensus is that the law poses no real threat given that the high court has characterized it as a mere piece of advice rather than a law that must be enforced.
Art controversies didn't end with the Finley case. In 1999, the city-funded Brooklyn Museum of Art came under fire when it exhibited a Chris Ofili painting of the Virgin Mary that featured sexually explicit cutouts covered with elephant dung. The Catholic Church, as well as New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, were outraged. Giuliani denounced the exhibit as morally offensive and threatened to cut off funding to the museum and terminate its lease if it did not cancel the exhibit that included Ofili's painting. The city followed through and withheld the museum's rent payment for October and filed a state lawsuit to get the lease revoked.
The museum filed a suit in federal court against Giuliani claiming First Amendment violations and seeking a permanent injunction against the city to keep it from withholding funds. U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon, finding that Giuliani's actions violated the First Amendment, granted the museum a preliminary injunction. Gershon also ordered the city to restore the museum's funding and stop eviction proceedings.
In February 2001, Giuliani again was offended by a piece of controversial art. "Yo Mama's Last Supper" is a 15-foot-tall photograph of a nude African-American woman portraying Jesus surrounded by 12 black men portraying the disciples. In his weekly radio address Giuliani stated, "If you want to desecrate religion in a disgusting way, if you want to promote racism, if you want to promote anti-Semitism, if you want to promote anti-Catholicism, if you want to promote anti-Islamism, then do it on your own money. Do not use the taxpayers' money to do that."
Giuliani then appointed a 20-member "decency commission" to review publicly funded art and determine the works' moral content. If the commission deemed an artwork offensive to any religious, racial or ethnic group, the city could withdraw funding. Giuliani based his authority to form the commission on an obscure section of the City Charter that allowed him to appoint members of a cultural-affairs committee to review art subsidized by the public. The commission, which held some meetings but failed to do anything noteworthy, was abolished in early 2002 by Giuliani's successor, Michael Bloomberg.
Another work that inspired art-rage in some critics was Alma Lopez's collage of the Virgin of Guadalupe in a floral bikini. The work was displayed in 2001 at a state-run museum in Santa, Fe, N.M. Santa Fe Archbishop Michael Sheehan, finding the portrayal insulting, expressed frustration that Catholic images were being singled out by artists. "No one would dream of putting Martin Luther King in Speedos and desecrating his memory by putting him in some outlandish outfit ... But somehow it seems open season on Catholic symbols."
Although efforts were made to banish "Our Lady" from the museum, a state judge refused to order its removal.
More recent controversies haven't been confined to art with religious themes. In 2001, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the city of Pasco, Wash., had violated the rights of two artists when their works were censored by the city. Even though the city had made an agreement with the artists to display their work City Hall, the city prevented artist Janette Hopper from displaying her work and ordered the work of artist Sharon Rupp to be taken down. The pieces, which included nudity, were censored because of their "sexual" nature. ACLU attorney Paul Lawrence summed up the case by saying, "The city of Pasco had decided to open City Hall as a public forum for art. The courts have said clearly that once government officials make such a decision, they cannot make choices based on the content of the art — whether it's controversial or offends someone's political sensibilities."
Also in 2001, California State Fair officials determined that a work, which had won "best sculpture," was unfit for exhibition and was banned. Peter Langenbach's satirical sculpture depicts former President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky in a bathtub. One fair official remarked that the work was "offensive to some people and inappropriate for children."
During the last few years, battles over censorship involving taxpayer funding have mostly faded away, giving way to fights involving people offended by certain works who have sought to have the pieces removed from public display. Museums and galleries are still targets of would be censors, but increasingly, any public space which displays art has become a target.
For instance, an anti-Bush painting included in an exhibit at the California Department of Justice cafeteria in August 2005 generated controversy, leading to complaints and the eventual removal of the painting. The painting shows the continental United States, decorated with the American flag, sticking out of a toilet with the words "T'anks to Mr. Bush" next to it. The painting was removed, California's attorney general said, out of sensitivity to the situation in the Middle East, not because of public complaints.
In May 2006, the 44th annual Young People's Art Exhibition in Colorado Springs, Colo., considered by many in the area as the premier student art exhibit in the region, was the scene of controversy. A 5-foot-by-4-foot painting titled "Dismantled Stereotype" by Fountain Valley School senior Addie Green was considered too controversial because it included an image associated with gay pride and was banned from the show. The painting depicts a high school football player standing near the back of a pickup. On the bumper is a small football-shaped rainbow bumper sticker.
Also in May 2006, Brooklyn Borough Parks Commissioner Julius Spiegel ordered an exhibition of art from graduate students of the Brooklyn College closed because some of the works were "not appropriate for families." Spiegel said the exhibit violated a verbal agreement reached six years ago by the Parks Department and Brooklyn College over use of the city-owned Brooklyn War Memorial building. The student exhibit was relocated to another venue and re-opened a few days later. Norman Siegel, a lawyer working on behalf of the students, filed a suit in federal court.
With artwork being displayed in public places from City Halls to universities to airports, the debate about the appropriateness of art in public places continues to thrive.
Updated June 2006
1This reasoning was articulated by U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon in Brooklyn Institute of Art and Sciences v. City of New York, 64 F.Supp. 2d 184, 200. Cases cited in her reasoning include: Hannegan v. Esquire, 327 U.S. 146 (1946); Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson, 343 U.S. 495, 505 (1952); Perry v. Sindermann, 408 U.S. 593, 597 (1972); Regan v. Taxation with Representation of Washington, 461 U.S. 540, 548 (1983.) These cases are not art-specific cases.


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Meet Compton
Did you miss anything in Lubuntu? Maybe some eyecandy like Compiz does in Ubuntu? Well, that solved for low-spec computers too. You can have shadows, transparencies and smooth transitions in your windows and programs thanks to Compton, the new composite manager in town. It's a fork from xcompmgr-dana (which is a fork istelf from xcompmgr). Thanks to our pals at Crunchbang Linux, we can use the GIT versions on Lubuntu too.
Download your 32bit or 64bit version and try it while it's hot. Combine it with your favourite dock or whatever. And this program solves the problem that Lubuntu 12.10 users may have with other composite managers, like Cairo or XCompMgr. You can check the screenshot to see it's really beautiful, but I can sure you that it's really fast too!


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April 17, 2013
Help us solve our nation's heath problems: Web developers needed for social media physical activity intervention
We need your help.
Although regular physical activity is a key factor in the prevention of a variety of chronic diseases, the majority of Americans remain insufficiently active. In fact, less than 5 percent of U.S. adults meet the national physical activity recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week.
As more and more Americans are using digital technologies in their everyday lives, such as cellphones, federal funding has recently been shifting toward support for new and innovative technology-based physical activity interventions. Such interventions have typically involved the use of the Internet, wireless technologies and/or social media, which have the potential to reach and impact a large audience in a cost-effective way.
However, this potential has yet to be fully realized, as many technology-based programs have relatively small impact on actual physical activity behavior. There are many possible explanations for this failure, two of which involve software design/functionality issues, such as user interface and the selection and translation of behavioral theory into practice.
Bottom line: We can do better, and you can help.
We are looking for qualified Web developers — undergraduate, graduate students or faculty — to help in creating web-based, social media software. As behavioral scientists, we intend to inform the design of such software with evidence-based practices and theories of behavior change.
Interested undergraduate or graduate students would gain valuable practical and research experience and, pending department approval, earn course credit for their work.
Interested faculty and graduate students may be able to test their own hypotheses and potentially be included on subsequent grant proposals for extramural funding — such as NIH R21.
We would like to begin this project immediately. Preference will be given to experienced developers with summer availability. Other desirable expertise or interests include human-computer interaction, social network analysis, hierarchical linear modeling and smartphone app development.
To learn more about this project and/or to indicate your interest, please contact Brandon Irwin in the Digital Physical Activity Laboratory in the department of kinesiology at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Thank you for your interest in this project and helping us improve our nation's health.


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Bryanna Clark Grogan's Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 21st Century Table: The kitchen journal of a vegan food writer.. I'm on Facebook and Twitter (see links in sidebar at right).
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Baked vegan French Toast with "Bumbleberry" Sauce and Soyatoo vegan whipped topping
We actually had a whole day without power outages yesterday! But there is another big storm coming, so it's "batten down the hatches" time again!
(See a picture of a BC ferry fighting the storm on Weds. Click on the photo for a larger view.)
Our little islands (Denman and Hornby) have an additional problem. Here is the explanation from BC Hydro:
"Service to Denman Island is provided as three-phase, at 25,000 volts using three relatively old submarine cables that are near their end of life. An extra cable (fourth) is used as a spare cable for back up and is relatively new in comparison. Service is continued from Denman Island to Hornby Island.
BC Hydro initiated a planned outage on Sunday to test the condition
of the four undersea cables that serve Denman Island. Service was restored back to normal later that day after successfully completing the tests. On Monday, in the early morning, one of the undersea cables faulted and resulted in a power outage. We switched power to the fourth or spare undersea cable and re-energized the circuit. Later that same day, a second undersea cable faulted.
The service to both island's is now at single-phase, 14,400 volts.
For residential customers this means business as usual. However, for commercial customers such as the Co-op and schools, that use three-phase power, the current service is insufficient and requires a three-phase diesel generator. We are working with those customers for short-term solutions.
With the age and condition of these failed cables, they must be replaced. BC Hydro is now developing a plan to replace all three of the original aged submarine cables (approximately 6000 meters), as well as the two failed cables, with new cables with more capacity. This will improve reliability to the islands. BC Hydro will be removing the failed cables, lay the new cables, and tie in the new equipment to return Denman and Hornby to three-phase power. At this time we are unsure how long this process will take, but we hope to begin the seven days of work beginning Monday. There will be a few planned, short duration outages during this work. We will update you on Monday with more information, and the planned outages, as the plan comes together.
Thank you for your patience.
The outage on Wednesday and Thursday was due to extreme winds and trees contacting our lines. At one point on Wednesday we had just over 200,000 customers without power throughout the BC Hydro system."
Oh, well-- what can you do? Just be prepared.
In the meantime, I'm getting this blog done!
We had a kind of fancy Saturday breakfast this morning-- baked (therefore lower in fat) vegan French toast with berries and whipped "cream", and soy cappuccinos!
I used the vegan whipped topping in a pressurized can, Soyatoo, which is quite delicious! It comes from Germany and is trans-fat-free! (UPDATE: I now prefer the whippaple version in the tetrapack box.)
makes 6 slices
Kids (of all ages!) love French toast. This recipe eliminates the usual eggs, milk, and butter. High-fiber, essential-fatty-acid-rich flaxseeds (and a little powdered egg replacer) take the place of eggs.
This is an orange-flavored version and is topped with a mixed-berry (that's what "bumbleberry" means!) sauce containing very little sugar! The whipped topping is optional.
This method is handy for cooking for a crowd— just multiply the recipe as needed.
6 slices slightly stale light sprouted wheat bread (such as Silver Hills)
1 c. non-dairy milk (I used soymilk, but nut milk would be yummy! If you use Almond Breeze or So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (both Original), the nutrition facts are just about the same.)
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
1 T. golden flax seeds (whole)
2 tsp. powdered egg replacer (Ener-G or Orgran)
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla or vanilla paste
1/4 tsp. salt
A few gratings of nutmeg
OPTIONAL: 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups frozen mixed berries, thawed
1 1/2 Tbs. vegan sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbs. water or juice
OPTIONAL: 2-4 tsp. grated orange zest
Preheat the oven to 500°F.
Blend together the batter ingredients in a blender until smooth. Soak the bread slices in this mixture in a 9x13" glass pan while the oven heats up. Turn the slices over a few times to make sure they are evenly soaked.
Place the soaked slices on a nonstick or lightly-oiled DARK cookie sheet (dark pans brown better), sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer. Spray the tops a little bit, too. Bake 10 minutes in the bottom third of the oven (use convection, if you have it),
then turn and bake about 5 minutes more, or until golden and crispy on the underside.
WHILE THE FRENCH TOAST IS BAKING, make the Bumbleberry Sauce. Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly; OR microwave in a medium, deep microwave-safe bowl (deep in order to avoid splashes) for about 2 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly.
Serve hot over the French toast.
Overnight French Toast: Soak the slices in a double recipe of batter (in an oiled shallow baking dish) overnight in the refrigerator. (You can use a crusty bread, cut 1/2" thick, if you like.) Then cook in the oven, as above.
Servings: 3
Yield: 12 half slices
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 351.1 calories; 10% calories from fat; 4.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 474.1mg sodium; 539.1mg potassium; 68.0g carbohydrates; 17.6g fiber; 23.9g sugar; 50.4g net carbs; 4.6g protein; 6.6 points.
7 comments:
- aimee said...
Hi Bryanna...Should those flax seeds be measured before or after grinding? Or should I just put the whole seeds into the blender with everything else? Will that grind them up enough? The bumbleberry sauce looks terrific!
Aimee - Sat Nov 18, 01:51:00 PM PST
- Bryanna Clark Grogan said...
I just put them into the blender whole.
- Sat Nov 18, 03:59:00 PM PST
Oh dear ... all that pending electric company repairs sounds daunting. And right at the beginning of winter too!! Keep the wood pile handy!!
- Sat Nov 18, 04:12:00 PM PST
I am full of questions about "technology", "progress", "science" and the like, but have found keeping my mouth shut gets me fewer black eyes and enemies. You may check out solarcooking.org for some ideas on alternatives to conventional appliances. I've researched some of these themes, and though not perfect, new paths are slowly opening up for humanity. Should humans fear or embrace extinction? Are my European "progress" ideals helpful in India and Africa? Big cities, Big cars, Big business; is bigger always better?
- Sun Nov 19, 10:34:00 AM PST
Wow Bryanna, that is something. When they say "thank you for your patience", you just know that it means you will need patience for a while longer.
Thank you for the wonderful baked French Toast idea ! I looks wonderful ! - Mon Nov 20, 03:04:00 PM PST
hi from Puerto Rico. i will like to know if this recipes you post here in your blog are in the vegan feast newsletter or they are apart!
thanks! - Tue Nov 21, 08:23:00 AM PST
- Bryanna Clark Grogan said...
For the most part, these recipes are NOT from the Vegan Feast newsletter. Occasionally I will print a variation on one or even an original recipe from the newsletter, but never one of the really unique or revolutionary recipes!
- Tue Nov 21, 11:15:00 AM PST


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My Word Coach – Nintendo Wii
My Word Coach, developed in collaboration with linguists, helps players improve their verbal communication and vocabulary in a fun way.
Practice need never get boring with six different exercises to choose between. Players can input missing letters from words, spell out the answers to various definitions, choose which word matches a particular definition, form specific words with Scrabble-like tiles, and more.