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By M K Bhadrakumar: The unthinkable is happening. The United States is confronting the Pakistani military leadership of General Parvez Kayani. An extremely dangerous course to destabilise Pakistan is commencing. Can the outcome be any different than in Iran in 1979? But then, the Americans are like Bourbons; they never learn from their mistakes.
The NYT report today is unprecedented. The report quotes US officials not less than 7 times , which is extraordinary, including "an American military official involved with Pakistan for many years"; "a senior American official", etc. The dispatch is cleverly drafted to convey the impression that a number of Pakistanis have been spoken to, but reading between the lines, conceivably, these could also probably have been indirect attribution by the American sources. A careful reading, in fact, suggests that the dispatch is almost entirely based on deep briefing by some top US intelligence official with great access to records relating to the most highly sensitive US interactions with the Pak army leadership and who was briefing on the basis of instructions from the highest level of the US intelligence apparatus.
Over the past 3 decades at least, Pakistani army officers have come to be recruited almost entirely from the lower middle class – as in our country – and not from the landed aristocracy as in the earlier decades up to the 1970s. These social strata are quintessentially right wing in their ideology, nationalistic, and steeped in religiosity that often becomes indistinguishable from militant religious faith.
The report no doubt underscores that the US intelligence penetration of the Pak defence forces goes very deep. It is no joke to get a Pakistani officer taking part in an exclusive briefing by Kayani at the National Defence University to share his notes with the US interlocutors – unless he is their "mole". This is like a morality play for we Indians, too, where the US intelligence penetration is ever broadening and deepening. Quite obviously, the birds are coming to roost. The Pakistani military is paying the price for the big access it provided to the US to interact with its officer corps within the framework of their so-called "strategic partnership". The Americans are now literally holding the Pakistani army by its jugular veins. This should serve as a big warning for all militaries of developing countries like India (which is also developing intensive "mil-to-mil" ties with the US). In our country at least, it is even terribly unfashionable to speak anymore of CIA activities. The NYT story flags in no uncertain terms that although Cold War is over, history has not ended.
What are the objectives behind the NYT story? In sum, any whichever way we look at it, they all are highly diabolic. One, US is rubbishing army chief Parvez Kayani and ISI head Shuja Pasha who at one time were its own blue-eyed boys and whose successful careers and post-retirement extensions in service the Americans carefully choreographed fostered with a pliant civilian leadership in Islamabad, but now when the crunch time comes, the folks are not "delivering". In American culture, as they say, there is nothing like free lunch. The Americans are livid that their hefty "investment" has turned out to be a waste in every sense. And. it was a very painstakingly arranged investment, too. In short, the Americans finally realise that they might have made a miscalculation about Kayani when they promoted his career.
Read more: The triple agent': The final days of the suicide bomber who attacked the CIA…!
Two, US intelligence estimation is that things can only go from bad to worse in US-Pakistan relations from now onward. All that is possible to slavage the relationship has been attempted. John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Mike Mullen – the so-called "friends of Pakistan" in the Barack Obama administration – have all come to Islamabad and turned on the charm offensive. But nothing worked. Then came CIA boss Leon Panetta with a deal that like Marlon Brando said in the movie Godfather, Americans thought the Pakistanis cannot afford to say 'No' to, but to their utter dismay , Kayani showed him the door. The Americans realise that Kayani is fighting for his own survival – and so is Pasha – and that makes him jettison his "pro-American" mindset and harmonise quickly with the overwhelming opinion within the army, which is that the Americans pose a danger to Pakistan's national security and it is about time that the military leadership draws a red line. Put simply, Pakistan fears that the Americans are out to grab their nuclear stockpile. Pakistani people and the military expect Kayani to disengage from the US-led Afghan war and instead pursue an independent course in terms of the country's perceived legitimate interests.
Three, there is a US attempt to exploit the growing indiscipline within the Pak army and, if possible, to trigger a mutiny, which will bog down the army leadership in a serious "domestic" crisis that leaves no time for them for the foreseeable future to play any forceful role in Afghanistan. In turn, it leaves the Americans a free hand to pursue their own agenda. Time is of the essence of the matter and the US desperately wants direct access to the Taliban leadership so as to strike a deal with them without the ISI or Hamid Karzai coming in between. The prime US objective is that Taliban should somehow come to a compromise with them on the single most crucial issue of permanent US military bases in Afghanistan. The negotiations over the strategic partnership agreement with Karzai's government are at a critical point. The Taliban leadership of Mullah Omar robustly opposes the US proposal to set up American and NATO bases on their country. The Americans are willing to take the Taliban off the UN's sanctions list and allow them to be part of mainstream Afghan political life, including in the top echelons of leadership, provided Mullah Omar and the Quetta Shura agree to play ball.
The US tried its damnest to get Kayani to bring the Taliban to the reconciliation path. When these attempts failed, they tried to establish direct contact with the Taliban leadership. But ISI has been constantly frustrating the US intelligence activities in this direction and reminding the US to stick to earlier pledges that Pakistan would have a key role in the negotiations with the Taliban. The CIA and Pentagon have concluded that so long as the Pakistani military leadership remains stubborn, they cannot advance their agenda in Afghanistan.
Now, how do you get Kayani and the ISI to back off? The US knows the style of functioning of the Pakistani military. The army chief essentially works within a collegium of the 9 corps commanders. Thus, US has concluded that it also has to tackle the collegium . The only way is to set the army's house on fire so that the generals get distracted by the fire-dousing and the massive repair work and housecleaning that they will be called upon to undertake as top priority for months if not years to come. To rebuild a national institution like the armed forces takes years and decades.
The Pakistani military is paying the price for the big access it provided to the US to interact with its officer corps within the framework of their so-called "strategic partnership". The Americans are now literally holding the Pakistani army by its jugular veins.
Four, the US won't mind if Kayani is forced to step aside from his position and the Pakistani military leadership breaks up in disarray, as it opens up windows of opportunities to have Kayani and Pasha replaced by more "dependable" people – Uncle Sam's own men. There is every possibility that the US has been grooming its favourites within the Pak army corps for all contingencies. Pakistan is too important as a "key non-NATO ally". The CIA is greatly experienced in masterminding coup d-etat, including "in-house" coup d'etat. Almost all the best and the brightest Pak army officers have passed through the US military academies at one time or another. Given the sub-continent's middle class mindset and post-modern cultural ethos, elites in civil or military life take it for granted that US backing is a useful asset for furthering career.
The officers easily succumb to US intelligence entrapment. Many such "sleepers" should be existing there within the Pak army officer corps. The big question remains: has someone in Washington thought through the game plan to tame the Pakistani military? The heart of the matter is that there is virulent "anti-Americanism" within the Pak armed forces. Very often it overlaps with Islamist sympathies. Old-style left wing "anti-Americanism" is almost non-existent in the Pakistani armed forces – as in Ayaz Amir's time. These tendencies in the military are almost completely in sync with the overwhelming public opinion in the country as well. Over the past 3 decades at least, Pakistani army officers have come to be recruited almost entirely from the lower middle class – as in our country – and not from the landed aristocracy as in the earlier decades up to the 1970s. These social strata are quintessentially right wing in their ideology, nationalistic, and steeped in religiosity that often becomes indistinguishable from militant religious faith.
Given the overall economic crisis in Pakistan and the utterly discredited Pakistani political class (as a whole) and countless other social inequities and tensions building up in an overall climate of cascading violence and great uncertainties about the future gnawing the mind of the average Pakistani today, a lurch toward extreme right wing Islamist path is quite possible. The ingredients in Pakistan are almost nearing those prevailing in Iran in the Shah's era.
Read more: IFs & Buts of General Musharraf 15 years after 9/11?
The major difference so far has been that Pakistan has an armed forces "rooted in the soil" as a national institution, which the public respected to the point of revering it, which on its part, sincerely or not, also claimed to be the Praetorian Guards of the Pakistani state. Now, in life, destroying comes very easy. Unless the Americans have some very bright ideas about how to go about nation-building in Pakistan, going by their track record in neighbouring Afghanistan, their present course to discredit the military and incite its disintegration or weakening at the present crisis point, is fraught with immense dangers.
The instability in the region may suit the US' geo-strategy for consolidating its (and NATO's) military presence in the region but it will be a highly self-centred, almost cynical, perspective to take on the problem, which has dangerous, almost explosive, potential for regional security. Also, who it is that is in charge of the Pakistan policy in Washington today, we do not know. To my mind, Obama administration doesn't have a clue since Richard Holbrooke passed away as to how to handle Pakistan. The disturbing news in recent weeks has been that all the old "Pakistan hands" in the USG have left the Obama administration. It seems there has been a steady exodus of officials who knew and understood how Pakistan works, and the depletion is almost one hundred percent. That leaves an open field for the CIA to set the policies. The CIA boss Leon Panetta (who is tipped as defence secretary) is an experienced and ambitious politico who knows how to pull the wires in the Washington jungle – and, to boot it, he has an Italian name. He is unlikely to forgive and forget the humiliation he suffered in Rawalpindi last Friday. The NYT story suggests that it is not in his blood if he doesn't settle scores with the Rawalpindi crowd. If Marlon Brando were around, he would agree. *Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar was a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service. His assignments included the Soviet Union, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kuwait and Turkey.
Moeed Pirzada is prominent TV Anchor & commentator; he studied international relations at Columbia Univ, New York and law at London School of Economics. Twitter: MoeedNj. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Space's editorial policy. This piece was first published in Moeed Pirzada's official page. It has been reproduced with permission.


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Kenny (Sinnoh)
Kenny ケンゴ Kengo | |
Kenny | |
Gender | Male |
Eye color | Black |
Hair color | Dark Auburn |
Hometown | Twinleaf Town |
Region | Sinnoh |
Trainer class | Coordinator |
Anime debut | Getting the Pre-Contest Titters! |
English voice actor | Rhonda Krempa (DP026-DP161) Bella Hudson (DP174-present) |
Japanese voice actor | Yuko Mita |
Kenny (Japanese: ケンゴ Kengo) is a recurring character who appeared in the Pokémon anime. He is a Pokémon Coordinator from Twinleaf Town and a childhood friend of Dawn and Leona. He and Dawn have since become rivals.
Kenny first appeared in Getting the Pre-Contest Titters!, where it was revealed that he had lost to Zoey in the final round of his very first Pokémon Contest. He told Dawn's friends several embarrassing stories involving her, which made her angry and caused her to challenge him to a battle, but Kenny ignored her for a battle against Ash and his Pikachu. During his battle with Ash, Kenny used the moves of his Prinplup uniquely, typical of a Coordinator. He blocked Pikachu's Thunderbolt with ease and left everyone impressed, including James and Meowth, who were watching all the action from a bush. The battle was interrupted by Team Rocket and their attempt to steal Prinplup, but their plans were thwarted thanks to Dawn's Piplup.
In Settling a Not-So-Old Score!, Kenny competed in the Floaroma Contest. In the Performance Stage, he used his Alakazam to deliver a performance reminiscent of a magic show, impressing the Contest Judges who placed him among the contestants advancing to the Battle Stage. There, he quickly made his way to the finals, where he found himself up against Dawn. The two fought a hard battle, but when the time ran out, Dawn was declared the winner. Before bidding farewell to her, Kenny said he was happy to have become a Pokémon Coordinator because that way he and Dawn would battle again.
He made a brief appearance on television in Throwing the Track Switch, where he was seen winning the Sage Town Pokémon Contest with his Prinplup. This victory gave Kenny his second Ribbon.
In Journey to the Unown!, Kenny was revealed to own a Breloom. He was invited by Ash to finish the battle they started in Floaroma Town, but declined the offer saying he was going to see Dialga and Palkia. He decided to battle Ash at the Solaceon Ruins, right in front of the Legendary Pokémon statues. Using his Breloom against Ash's Turtwig, Kenny was glad the damage was being kept to a minimum, since it was a battle between two Grass-type Pokémon. He was more focused on showing off the attacks of his Pokémon, just like Dawn anticipated. Ash was struck by a move in particular, Energy Ball, and asked Kenny to teach the attack to his Turtwig. Kenny said he would only do so if he was defeated. Ash agreed, but their battle was interrupted once again when the stairs where Dawn was sitting on began to lift and they had to run to help her. They all ended up inside the Solaceon Ruins, where Kenny became frightened by the illusions caused by the resident Unown. After hearing from Ash that a Trainer must remain calm to pass confidence to their Pokémon, Kenny pulled himself together and began looking for Dawn. While searching for her, he used his Prinplup and Breloom to snap the Unown that kept appearing along the way out of their confusion. Eventually, he found her, and after seeing Piplup convincing the Unown to bring everything back to normal, he left the ruins along with Dawn and the others. Upon leaving, Ash asked him about their battle, to which Kenny replied agreeing to teach Turtwig Energy Ball as long as Ash did not tell Dawn how scared he was at the ruins.
In Team Shocker!, Kenny was seen helping Ash teach Turtwig the move Energy Ball. Later, he participated in the Solaceon Town Pokémon Contest. Using Breloom for the appeals, Kenny impressed the judges enough for them to grant him a place in the second round. He then used Prinplup in the Battle Stage, and the Penguin Pokémon quickly advanced him to the finals, where he faced Jessilina. Kenny was determined to win, but Jessilina managed to use his techniques to benefit her Pokémon and this led Kenny to a defeat.
Kenny made short cameos in Pruning a Passel of Pals! and Strategy with a Smile!, watching the Wallace Cup on TV. He then made a cameo in A Breed Stampede!, appearing in Marian's news report about Coordinators alongside Nando.
His next appearance was in Stopped in the Name of Love!, where he, along with Barry, revealed that they are best friends, despite having recently met. He also helped search for Piplup when the Water-type Pokémon ran away from Dawn.
In Old Rivals, New Tricks!, he entered the Sandalstraw Contest in hopes of getting his fourth Ribbon. He declared war against Dawn and said he would complete the requirement for the Grand Festival before her. He used his Machoke in the Appeals Round, and the unique performance given by the Superpower Pokémon easily put him in the second round. Using his reliable Prinplup, he made it to the finals, where he found himself up against Dawn once again. After turning the battle into a ping-pong match, Kenny was able to defeat Dawn and her Ambipom, thus winning the Contest.
Kenny entered the Sinnoh Grand Festival in Last Call — First Round!, where it was revealed that his Prinplup had evolved into an Empoleon. During the Appeals Round, he used Empoleon alongside his Floatzel, and while the appeal started well, the Emperor Pokémon's Flash Cannon proved to be too powerful and Floatzel was sent flying. As a result, Kenny didn't make it past the round, leading to an early exit from the competition. Upset about his loss, Kenny decided not to remain for the rest of the Grand Festival, and after bidding farewell to Dawn and her friends, Kenny left Lake Valor to begin his training anew. He made a brief cameo in A Grand Fight for Winning!, watching Dawn and Zoey compete in the finals.
In Four Roads Diverged in a Pokémon Port!, Kenny was seen doing some training with Jasmine, the Olivine City Gym Leader. He also challenged Ash to a Pokémon battle, and told Dawn he wanted her to travel with him if he won. Using his Empoleon against Ash's Buizel, he was able to win the battle. After that, he told Dawn he would be waiting for her at the city's lighthouse. Dawn didn't show up at the lighthouse, but instead sent him a letter assuring him that as long as they share the dream of becoming Top Coordinators they will meet again. Kenny then set off on his new journey.
He made a cameo appearance in the ending credits of Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
As a childhood friend of Dawn, Kenny likes to tease her. He often calls her by her nickname, Dee Dee (Japanese: ピカリ Pikari), which he made up when he was younger to make fun of her. He also likes to share stories of their kindergarten days to embarrass Dawn. Despite this, he still cares about her, as shown in Team Shocker!, when he became concerned after seeing her become depressed for not making it to the Contest Battles of the Solaceon Contest.
Despite being friends with Dawn for a long time, he said in Getting the Pre-Contest Titters! that she had never noticed he was also interested in Pokémon Contests when they were younger. In Settling a Not-So-Old Score!, he stated that he was glad to have become a Pokémon Coordinator so he and Dawn would see each other often in Contests.
In Four Roads Diverged in a Pokémon Port!, Kenny was revealed to have developed a crush on Dawn. He challenged Ash to a Pokémon battle and stated that if he won, he would like Dawn to go on a journey with him. Though Kenny managed to defeat Ash, Dawn sent a message to him, saying that her plans were to cheer Ash on in the Lily of the Valley Conference. She also assured him that as long as they have the same dream, they would certainly meet again.
の | This article is missing information on this character's English voice actor and Japanese voice actor. You can help by adding this information. |
This listing is of Kenny's known Pokémon in the anime:
Empoleon is Kenny's main Pokémon. It is Kenny's starter Pokémon, and he obtained it when it was a Piplup. Empoleon was first seen as a Prinplup in Getting the Pre-Contest Titters. | ||
Debut | Getting the Pre-Contest Titters | |
Voice actors | ||
Japanese | Katsuyuki Konishi | |
English | Bill Rogers |
Kenny uses his Alakazam in the first round of the Floaroma Pokémon Contest in Settling a Not-So-Old Score!. It made a wonderful performance using its moves, which helped Kenny get through to the next round.
Alakazam's known moves are Light Screen, Shadow Ball, Teleport, and Hidden Power. | ||
Debut | Settling a Not-So-Old Score! | |
Voice actors | ||
Japanese | ||
English | Bill Rogers |
Kenny has a Breloom that appeared in Journey to the Unown! and Team Shocker!. He has used it in battle against Ash's Turtwig and helped teach him Energy Ball. Kenny then used it again in his appeal at the Solaceon Contest in the following episode.
Breloom's known moves are Stun Spore, Mach Punch, and Energy Ball. | ||
Debut | Journey to the Unown! | |
Voice actors | ||
Japanese | Tomoko Kawakami | |
English | Bill Rogers |
Machoke was used in the Performance Stage of the Sandalstraw Contest in Old Rivals, New Tricks!, during which its toughness was showcased to great results. The Fighting-type Pokémon began its performance by using Focus Energy to show off its muscles and then used Strength to lift a barbell three times heavier than its own weight. To finish, Kenny leaped up onto the barbell and posed while Machoke continued to hold it up, leaving the judges very impressed. The presentation secured Kenny a spot in the Battle Stage.
Machoke's known moves are Focus Energy and Strength. | ||
Debut | Old Rivals, New Tricks! | |
Voice actors | ||
Japanese | ||
English | Tom Wayland |
Kenny's Floatzel first appeared in Last Call, First Round! as he used him for the appeals round in the Sinnoh Grand Festival with his Empoleon. During the performance, Floatzel was overpowered by Empoleon's Flash Cannon and was sent flying backward, causing Kenny to be eliminated from the tournament.
In Four Roads Diverged in a Pokémon Port!, he was training with Kenny before Team Rocket tried to steal him. Floatzel's known moves are Aqua Jet, Whirlpool, and Razor Wind. | ||
Debut | Last Call, First Round! |
Sinnoh Ribbons
This listing is of the Ribbons Kenny has obtained in the Sinnoh region:
- Unknown Ribbon (prior to Throwing the Track Switch)
- Sage Ribbon (prior to Throwing the Track Switch)
- Gerbera Ribbon (prior to A Breed Stampede!)
- Sandalstraw Ribbon (Old Rivals, New Tricks!)
- Unknown Ribbon (prior to Last Call — First Round!)
Grand Festival ranking
Kenny has competed in the following Grand Festival tournaments:
- Sinnoh Grand Festival - Appeal Round (Last Call — First Round!)
Other achievements
Kenny has competed in the following Pokémon Contests:
- Floaroma Contest - Runner-up (Settling a Not-So-Old Score!)
- Solaceon Contest - Runner-up (Team Shocker!)
Voice actors
- Kenny has a blue Pokétch, the one given to male players in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
- Kenny is the only one of Dawn's rivals that didn't progress to the second round of the Sinnoh Grand Festival.
Language | Name | Origin |
Japanese | ケンゴ Kengo | Possibly from 金剛 kongo, diamond. |
English, German, Italian, Spanish |
Kenny | Similar to Kengo. |
French | Kenny Gilles* |
Same as English. |
Korean | 건오 Geon'o | From the name 健五 Kengo. |
Chinese (Taiwan) | 健悟 Jiànwù | From the name 健悟 Kengo. |
Russian | Кенни Kenni | Transliteration of his English name. |
Related articles
This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime. |

subset: commoncrawl


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This is kind of a brain dump, based on the information available now. I'll have plenty more to say once precinct data has been released.
– The current tally in the Presidential race on the Secretary of State webpage, with comparison to 2008, is as follows:
2008 Votes Pct
McCain 4,479,328 55.45%
Obama 3,528,633 43.68%
2012 Votes Pct
Romney 4,542,012 57.19%
Obama 3,285,200 41.36%
Slight uptick for Romney over McCain, slightly larger downtick for Obama. My sense is that this is mostly a turnout issue, that Obama's coalition was mostly intact but not quite as fired up as in 2008, much like what we saw nationally. I think that's fixable, but it's going to take the same thing to fix it (money money money) as it has always been. I mean, Team Obama invested millions in a turnout operation in various parts of the country, and by all accounts it was successful. What effect might that have had here? I hope someday to find out.
– For all my skepticism of the polling in Texas, the pollsters were fairly in the ballpark on Romney's margin of victory. I have to say, had you told me on Monday that Romney was going to win here by 16 points, I would never have believed that Wendy Davis and Pete Gallego would have won, and I would have doubted Dems' ability to win the four contested seats in the Lege that they did. But they did, which is both a tip to the skill of the redistricters and a reminder that things could have been better. Overall, I'd grade it as a B- for Texas Dems – the Davis, Gallego, and Craig Eiland wins were huge, but there were missed opportunities, especially in Harris and Dallas Counties, where too many judges lost in the former and two Democratic legislative challengers fell just short in the latter.
– I don't want to dwell too much on the legislative races, since we're going to get a new map once the San Antonio court incorporates the DC Court's ruling into their lawsuit, but there will clearly be more opportunities in 2014. Still, it should be apparent by now just how steep the hill is. Dems came close to parity in the Lege last decade in large part to a sizable rural contingent and an ability to win seats in otherwise-Republican districts. Well, the rural Dems are virtually extinct, and outside of Davis and maybe Eiland I doubt there were any crossover stars this time around; I'll know for sure when I see precinct data. I still think there will be opportunities for both based on the forthcoming school finance ruling and 2013 legislative session, but we're a long way from each and candidates still need to be found.
– One question I had going into this race was how well Obama would do in predominantly Latino areas. In 2008, Obama lagged behind the rest of the Democratic ticket in these areas, possibly due to lingering resentment over Hillary Clinton's loss to him in the primary, but as we know Democrats nationally and Obama specifically have seen Latino support go up since then. Here's a quick and dirty comparison to 2008 in some heavily Latino counties that will have to do until I get precinct data:
County 08 Obama 12 Obama 08 turnout 12 turnout
Cameron 64.08% 65.72% 43.37% 41.46%
El Paso 65.87% 65.63% 47.67% 44.58%
Hidalgo 69.01% 70.42% 42.83% 45.59%
Maverick 78.20% 78.60% 40.43% 37.84%
Webb 71.44% 76.56% 44.40% 44.28%
Nice gain in Webb, modest gains in Cameron and Hidalgo. It's a start.
– Congressional loser Quico Canseco is whining about fraud.
Gallego finished 13,534 votes ahead of Canseco early Wednesday morning.
"The race is not over, and it won't be until all votes are properly and legally counted," Canseco said in a statement the morning after the election.
Gallego campaign spokeswoman Rebecca Acuna said there is "no way" voter fraud occurred. "This just shows a lot about [Canseco's] character, because he chose to go this route" rather than concede and congratulate Gallego, she said.
Canseco's campaign alleges that officials in Maverick County double- or triple-counted some of the early vote sheets. A complaint to the Secretary of State indicates that Canseco's campaign found a minimum of 57 duplicate votes when reviewing a list provided by the Maverick County Elections Office. The campaign also alleges that another county used photocopied ballots, a criminal offense, and that an extended delay in counting votes from other counties left "other questions unanswered."
"There are too many disturbing incidents to declare this race over," Scott Yeldell, Canseco's campaign manager, said in a statement. "During the next several days we will be looking into these reports to assure only legal votes have been counted in this election."
But Acuna said even if all the votes from Maverick County — where Gallego received 6,291 more votes than Canseco — were excluded, Gallego still would have come out ahead. "His argument — it's not at all valid," she said. "We won this race; it's simple math."
I don't expect this to go anywhere.
– In Harris County, those last nine precincts were finally counted. Obama's margin of victory in the county inched up to 585 votes, but as far as I can tell none of the downballot races were affected. Obama's total was down about 6000 votes from 2008, while Romney improved on McCain by about 13,000 votes. Still, as noted in the comments yesterday, provisional ballots have not yet been counted, and overseas ballots are still arriving, Judges Kyle Carter (1,499) and Tad Halbach (2,786) had the smallest margins in those races, while Mike Sullivan also had a close shave, winning by 2,498 votes and a 48.94% plurality thanks to the presence of a Libertarian candidate that received 2.34%. I still don't think any races are likely to change, but I daresay all three of these gentlemen will not rest easy until the counting has truly ceased.
– I have to mention a couple of national stories. First, Tuesday was a great day for marriage equality.
Voters in Maryland and Maine legalized same-sex marriage by popular vote Tuesday, the first time in U.S. history that gay marriage has been approved at the ballot box.
In Maryland, voters approved marriage equality 52 percent to 48 percent with 93 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press. The state government passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, but opponents succeeded in putting the issue on the ballot in November.
"Over these past few weeks, Marylanders joined together to affirm that for a free and diverse people of many faiths — a people committed to religious freedom — the way forward is always found through greater respect for the equal rights and human dignity of all," Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), a champion of marriage equality in the state, said in a statement late Tuesday.
The AP also declared Maine voters had approved same-sex marriage Tuesday after defeating a referendum on it just three years ago, a sign of how quickly Americans' views on the issue are evolving. With 57 percent of precincts reporting, the ballot measure led 54 percent to 46 percent.
In a third victory for gay rights advocates, Minnesota voters defeated a state constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage, according to CNN and the AP. Thirty other states have gay marriage bans on the books, including North Carolina's, approved as recently as May 2012.
Proponents of marriage equality were still hoping Wednesday for a fourth victory in Washington, where a measure to approve gay marriage was still too close to call as of Wednesday morning.
Remember when this was an issue used to bludgeon Democrats? Never again, and thank goodness for it.
– Poor John Cornyn. At the beginning of this year, you could have gotten lower odds on the Astros winning the World Series than the Democrats not only holding the Senate but making gains. Yet that's exactly what happened.
"It's clear that with our losses in the presidential race, and a number of key Senate races, we have a period of reflection and recalibration ahead for the Republican Party," the Texas Republican said in a statement released by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which he directs. "While some will want to blame one wing of the party over the other, the reality is candidates from all corners of our GOP lost tonight. Clearly we have work to do in the weeks and months ahead."
As of early Wednesday morning, Democrats (with an assist by an Independent in Maine) had picked up four Republican seats while losing just one of their own. Not a single Democratic incumbent was defeated.
Cornyn, who hopes to win a party leadership position in the new Congress, is now explaining the reasons for the 2012 failure.
"We know that our conservative vision is the right one to secure a stronger America for future generations," Cornyn said in his statement. "We know that we are the party of big, bold ideas with the courage to fight for what's right even if it's not politically expedient. It was that courage and that vision that led to important gains for our party in 2010. But all of us should continue to learn from both our victories and our defeats, and work together to build an even stronger Republican Party."
Basically, the Republicans had first and goal at the one yard line. Then, after a false start, two quarterback sacks, and an intentional-grounding penalty, their 50-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Elizabeth Warren, and returned for a touchdown by Joe Donnelly. The Democrats then added insult to injury by going for two and converting successfully. You just cannot overstate the degree and the stunningness of the turnaround in fortune. And if Big John thinks that the Republicans should just keep doing what they've been doing, well, I won't try to persuade him otherwise.
– Other results of interest: The city of Austin will adopt City Council districts, while League City banned red light cameras. At least some things never change.
That's all for now. PDiddie, Mark Bennett, Murray Newman, Harold Cook, and TM Daily Post have more, while Texas Parent PAC takes a victory lap.


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BPA exposure effects may last for generations
Exposure to low doses of Bisphenol A (BPA) during gestation had immediate and long-lasting, trans-generational effects on the brain and social behaviors in mice, according to a recent study accepted for publication in the journal Endocrinology, a publication of The Endocrine Society.
BPA is a man-made chemical present in a variety of products including food containers, receipt paper and dental sealants and is now widely detected in human urine and blood. Public health concerns have been fueled by findings that BPA exposure can influence brain development. In mice, prenatal exposure to BPA is associated with increased anxiety, aggression and cognitive impairments.
"We have demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that BPA has trans-generational actions on social behavior and neural expression," said Emilie Rissman, PhD, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "Since exposure to BPA changes social interactions in mice at a dose within the reported human levels, it is possible that this compound has trans-generational actions on human behavior. If we banned BPA tomorrow, pulled all products with BPA in them, and cleaned up all landfills tomorrow it is possible, if the mice data generalize to humans, that we will still have effects of this compound for many generations."
In this study, female mice received chow with or without BPA before mating and throughout gestation. Plasma levels of BPA in supplemented female mice were in a range similar to those measured in humans. Juveniles in the first generation exposed to BPA in utero displayed fewer social interactions as compared with control mice. The changes in genes were most dramatic in the first generation (the offspring of the mice that were exposed to BPA in utero), but some of these gene changes persisted into the fourth generation.
"BPA is a ubiquitous chemical, it is in the air, water, our food, and our bodies," said Rissman. "It is a man-made chemical, and is not naturally occurring in any plant or animal. The fact that it can change gene expression in mice, and that these changes are heritable, is cause for us to be concerned about what this may mean for human health."
More information: The article, "Gestational exposure to Bisphenol A produces trans-generational changes in behaviors and gene expression," appears in the XX 2012 issue of Endocrinology.


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Dead Set
Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Richard Kadrey creates a wonderful, stand-alone dark fantasy
After her father's funeral, Zoe moved to the big city with her mother to start over. But change always brings trials, and life in the city is not so easy. Money is tight, and Zoe's only escape, as has always been the case, is in her dreams--a world apart from her troubled real life where she can spend time with her closest companion: her lost brother, Valentine.
But something or someone has entered their dreamworld uninvited. And a chance encounter at a used record store, where the vinyl holds not music but lost souls, has opened up a portal to the world of the restless dead. It's here that the shop's strange proprietor offers Zoe the chance to commune with her dead father. The price? A lock of hair. Then a tooth. Then . . .
Availability | |||
Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
F Kadrey | Main (Downtown) | Second Level, Fiction | In |


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Valentine's Day is full of romance and love for many Americans and it is a beautiful thing. The thought of that special person can send sparks flying. Hearts, roses, and chocolates abound. Young love blossoms. Sadly, these scenes of romance are often a façade for a culture obsessed with an emotional high rather than a selfless love. When the day ends the beauty of the emotional romance is gone, replaced by the ugly reality of shallow relationships. Real romance is not a state of eternal bliss but a commitment to love, sacrificing for the good of the other. How can we hold onto love beyond that February 14th feeling? With so few cultural factors that encourage true romance and love it is helpful to use the Valentine's Day holiday as a reminder of what love truly looks like. I could give a hundred reasons why marriage is good for you, but those are simply side benefits to following God's plan for love. Here are three things every Christian husband should do this Valentine's Day to renew a lasting love and romance:
- Remember that you are to love your wife like Christ loved the church. Enough to bleed for her and enough to die for her. Enough to be separated from His Heavenly Father and to become sin for her. I am to love my wife when she sins against me. I am to nurture her, cherish her, and care for her. I am to spend myself for her because I love her and because Christ showed me how.
- Remember that my love for her is not conditional on feelings. Feelings are fickle. They change but my love for my wife can shine brighter even when feelings wane. Choosing to love often brings feelings with it but feelings are not the gauge of love. I want my wife to know that "for better or for worse" wasn't just a cliché phrase but a life-long promise.
- Remember to do her good. It can be easy to do good to your significant other while dating. But after a few years of marriage, it may require a little effort. Thinking of ways to do her good involves not just gifts but understanding her needs on both a personal and spiritual level. Bearing your spouse's burdens can be a challenging and fulfilling task, but it is well worth the effort.
I love my wife. She loves me. I still consider myself a newlywed even though I have been married for well over two years. We still act like romantics, we still hold hands. I still kiss her every morning when I leave for work and she greets me with a kiss when I come home. But these are not the deeds that lead to love they are expressions of it. I have chosen to love my wife. Loving my wife, regardless of feelings, with a desire to do her good at all times is a difficult task. But it is a task I have been commanded to pursue and one I promised, on my wedding day, to perform until death. Along with the chocolate and the kisses, may we all renew our commitment to make the rest of "'til death do us part" a beautiful thing.


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Best Yosemite Hiking
Uncover waterfalls, lakes, and hidden views of the park
One of the best ways to see Yosemite is by foot. Here are our top picks for Yosemite hikes by region:
Lower Yosemite Falls: In Yosemite Valley, a short, very pretty hike with a great reward in the view of the falls. Trailhead: Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead (Shuttle Stop #6); distance: 1 mile loop. Easy.
Mirror Lake: A two-mile trail leads to this lake and surrounding meadow, particularly pretty in early morning. Trailhead: Shuttle Stop #17. Distance: 2 mile round-trip; easy.
Vernal Fall: It's a .8-mile hike to a footbridge with a fine view of this lovely waterfall. Trailhead: Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16)
The Valley Loop Trail: A 13-mile footpath with views of Upper Yosemite Fall and Bridalveil Fall, the trail rings the western part of Yosemite Valley—and almost no one hikes it. Pick it up behind Yosemite Lodge or at Camp 4, or choose a section and then catch a free shuttle when you're done.
Half Dome: It's on a lot of people's life list of adventures–the demanding hike/climb up 8,800-foot Half Dome. Allow at least 10 hours, and know that the last 900 feet of trail is a steep climb up the dome, with you clinging to cables for the final 400-foot ascent. Trailhead: Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16). Distance: 14-16 miles. Difficulty: hard. For more, visit http://www.nps.gov/yose.
Pothole Dome: This short climb provides an ideal vantage point for taking in Tuolumne Meadows. From the pullout on the north side of State 120 look for a big meadow that leads first into a grove of pines and then up the gently curving rock face. The 0.5-mile trip to the top takes less than 20 minutes and is easy all the way. Trailhead: State 120 at western edge of the meadows. Distance: .5 mile; easy.
Gaylor Lakes: This shortish hike climbs to give you incredible High Sierra views. Trailhead: Tioga Pass Entrance Station. Distance: 2 miles; moderate.
The Grizzly Giant: In the Mariposa Grove, an easy hike to one of Yosemite's most impressive sequoias. Trailhead: Mariposa Grove parking lot. Distance: .8 miles; easy.
Taft Point: A mostly flat walk through forest leads you to this promontory and eye-popping views of the Yosemite Valley. Trailhead: Taft Point/Sentinel Dome parking area. Distance: 2.2 miles; moderate.


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Soie Tressée, French for "Silk Braid," is a modern expression of a timeless classic and offers a contemporary look on an ancient shape. Made of Limoges porcelain, this dinnerware collection is available in white or with the braids beautifully accentuated in hand-gilded 24K gold and platinum and Black.
8.5 D in
22 D cm
All L'OBJET collections are made with exceptional materials, and with proper use and care, will last for generations.
your first order when you sign up for our mailing list.


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Friday, July 01, 2011
Maison Blanc UK
37 comments:
I hate you, hate you, hate you, hate you, but only in the most loving way. I broke my computer screen trying to grab that last tempting morsel of chocolate heaven with the raspberry on top! Oh well. I've been leafing through the pages of my macaron book (thank you for the suggestion - the book looks perfect) to build up the courage to try baking the ultimate of culinary perfection. It's been a long time since I've done any actual baking, but I think the French blood in me will soon conquer any fear I have.
ReplyDeleteBillizetti has asked me to invite you over to our blog for a little surprise. http://wjcsdigitalworld.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteNot at all Monsieur S. Sport.
MAISON BLANC is named after French chef Raymond BLANC
It is in the text of the post...ahem- Barbara in Dublin7:39 AM
Took your advice and dropped in (more than once!) to Maison Blanc in Oxford when visiting there this week. Had a lovely breakfast and one of the (as recommended by you) wonderful deserts.
Yum is all I can say.
As a follower of yours was really tickled pink to see your watercolour paintings on the menu. Felt as proud as if I had done them myself!


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This article is more than 1 year old
Microsoft's Google complaint not an April Fool
Smith stands tall after 'decade wearing the shoe on the other foot'...
Microsoft's decision to take Google to the European Commission might sound like an early April Fool's prank, even Brad Smith, after 10 years defending Microsoft against the Commission, could see it.
Smith said: "There of course will be some who will point out the irony in today's filing. Having spent more than a decade wearing the shoe on the other foot with the European Commission, the filing of a formal antitrust complaint is not something we take lightly."
He added that this was the first time Microsoft has made a formal complaint, although some will say it has worked its will through various lobby groups and other companies – the European Commission is already investigating many of the issues raised today.
Supporters of the case point to what they describe as a pattern of behaviour in different markets which all aim to effectively wall off information and make it impossible for rival firms to access.
The accusation that Google manipulates YouTube APIs in order to lock out rival firms is of course exactly what Microsoft was found guilty of doing with its workgroup servers. The case could even provide a legal precedent for an action against Google.
David Wood, legal spokesman for I-comp – a lobby group sponsored by Microsoft – said today's move was not a complete surprise but did give Microsoft some procedural advantages.
He said he believed the Commission was "not working under any great time pressure" and was looking carefully before deciding on its next step. He predicted it may come to a decision, at least internally, by the summer.
A spokeswoman for the Commission said: "The Commission takes note of the complaint and, as is the procedure, will inform Google to allow it to submit its own views."
The probe remains at a preliminary stage and no conclusion has been reached on whether Google has a case to answer.
Google had not responded to phone calls or emails by press time. ®


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I realize that this post is a bit late (I mean hello where have I been for a month?!?!), but I wanted to make sure that I was completely at peace with this decision before posting it. That first sentence probably just gave away the ending (damn, no suspense!) but yes, this is the last post here at Tree of Life. I know I went away once before, but as difficult as it is, this time I have a deep rooted sense of peace knowing its the right decision. It's time.
About two and a half weeks ago, Jess and I sent a difficult email to our guild letting them know that the two of us were done with raiding. It's been obvious to us for a while now that we needed to recruit a couple more folks to keep our raiding going, though we had been incredibly fortunate to have our sister guild Emerald help us out. But looking at the crossroads we were in, I just don't think our hearts were in it anymore.
At the same time both of us were looking to focus on other aspects of our lives with the game being a smaller part of our lives. Honestly speaking I think that both Jess and I have had these thoughts for a while, but were afraid to tell the other. I think both of us knew that we would not continue raiding without the other, but not knowing what the other wanted to do, didn't want to bring it up. However we just suddenly both blurted it out to each other after a raid at the beginning of the month. I think we were both a bit surprised and relieved the other felt the same way.
For me personally, I knew that this spurred by really looking at where I am in my life, where I want to be in 5 years, and what changes I may need to make today to get to where I need to be. I think it had become the case where my schedule started with WoW and my ingame commitments, then I was trying to plan my real life around that. When in actually it should be the other way around. There have been a number of things I've wanted to get involved in during our raid nights that I just haven't been able to. Plus all of this happening around the new year/the time of new year resolutions is not a complete coincidence.
But then I had that horrible pit in my stomach about how to tell the kids/guildies. As the mom of the guild, I felt/feel this incredible obligation and honestly, guilt. And I guess in a way this pressure, this pressure where you feel responsible for the ingame enjoyment of others is part of what I wanted to get away from. But in another sense I think I enjoyed being depended on, if that makes any sense?
In the email to the guild, we noted:
"We've been exceptionally lucky to have such a healthy and rewarding social dynamic that has been TLC for nearly six years now, and it's as wonderful now as it has ever been. We shouldn't need to tell you that the friendships we've established here transcend the game and this decision is only a discontinuation of our role in the guild, not our friendships."
While this is 100% true, and while I still plan on being the ring leader to plan another Clawcon this summer, its still hard because the game is the vehicle by which we've hung out together for so long. It's not easy, and three weeks later I still get choked up thinking about it.
After we sent the email out I spent another week or so in a panic reaching out to individual folks in and out of game trying to make sure they understood why/how this happened. As I noted to Jess, even at the end, I'm still the mom trying to personalize things and make sure everyone is ok. To this Jess noted that this was why he needed to quit when I did... he doesn't make a very good mommy.
For our last scheduled raid night, in true mommy planning fashion, I did plan a number of amusing little activities for us. First, I called everyone to Dalaran and had us congregate at the sewer exit pipe. From there we played some guild darts, where we would hurl ourselves to our deaths off the exit pipe to some determined target. For round one, I made Jess go first, then see whose dead body would land closest to his. I figured that was appropriate given we've been following our GM to our deaths for years now.
After that we did a bit of guild dodgeball using those leather balls you can throw to each other. I found a place in Darkshore that was small enough but had some pillars and line of sight issues. We were separated into two teams and I had prepared different colored shirts. The two teams started with 15 balls each. It was clear my team lost when at the end my teammate Nikolai announced he had 24 balls in my inventory. Apparently he just likes collecting balls and not throwing them back out.
From there we went down to Gurubashi Arena for some pvp action, though honestly it ended up being "target K first and kill her first" kinda thing. Boo. Boo!!! In one iteration of it I tried to separate us into more than just two teams, but then ended up making one team with three hunters on it. Ooops.
I think the pvp action got our blood flowing because then we decided to visit each of the Horde cities. We figured we'd go for that achieve where you have to kill 5 players in each major city. Silvermoon and Thunderbluff were pretty empty as expected. I did have to applaud the poor little level 20s who would flag against a group of 7 or 8 level 90s that included two healers.
Undercity was a bit more fun. We ended up find a good little cubby from which we coordinated our attacks. "Back to the cubby!" was our rallying call. Our final visit to good old Org was a bit more eventful. There were some more deaths from our side, but we got a good number of Horde too and everyone got their achieves. All in all it was a great time in typical Left Claw fashion: lots of laughter, sexual innuendo, and swearing.
About six years ago when I started this game, I never could have guessed that the game would provide not only entertainment, but incredible friendships, an awareness of how I act in leadership situations, and in a way a view into an aspect of my true self. Before becoming the mom of the Left Claw, I had always thought of myself as a bit more stoic or emotionally reserved. I'm not sure that I really realized how much of a true nurturer I really am. For all of this I am so incredibly grateful.
Now it's only been a couple of weeks since we stopped raiding, so I'm still trying to figure out and find what my new routine and schedule looks like. I'm not sure what my WoW play time will look like, though I'd like to think that I'll still play casually whether that is to pvp or collect pets or whatever. We'll see.
Finally... this blog. I don't know whether this blog made me enjoy the game more or whether the game made me blog more. Perhaps a bit of both. Having had the opportunity to blog here has taught me that I really do enjoy writing. It's been a great 5+ years here and its really hard for me to admit that this is the last post. However it's time. If I'm playing less and less, I'm just going to have less to blog about here.
Thanks to everyone who has kept up with the blog. It's been a great ride and I've greatly enjoyed being a part of the blog community.
Thanks to my Left Claw guildies, past and present, for not only great friendships, but teaching me so much about myself.
Thanks to Jess... you know what you've done.
And so this incredible chapter sadly but inevitably ends. This blog been a blast guys, and I only have fond memories.
Much love,
P.S. If you're interested at all in keeping up with my random ramblings, there is a pretty strong chance that I will resurrect an old personal blog. Who knows, perhaps any random future WoW posts I want to make may end up there. Follow me at Carolina Blue Dreams
Thursday, January 24, 2013
And so this chapter ends
Posted by Keredria at 11:02 AM
15 comments:
I hope you keep playing casually so we can run into each other merrily doing dailies or coming up against each other in Tol Barad*, but in any case it has been great reading Tree of Life over the years! The raid posts, the stories about Tyrande's doll and your arch-nemesis (Paladin healers), being guild mommy. I'll miss these posts!
I've felt a kinship to The Left Claw in many ways in the last few expacs, due to how similar our guilds are in terms of raid progression/outlook, size, and closeness, and I am sad that you guys are calling it a day. But it makes sense, and it sounds like your final raid night was one of smiles and happy memories, which is really the best ending for the Claw family. :)
Thanks for writing! I'll check out CBD for updates!
(Now who am I going to trade 100k of Lunar Lanterns cross-faction with???)
*or murdering little Kimchee during Midsummer Fire Festival@Rades: The funniest thing about our last raid night was when I whispered you that we were invading Org and your response was "Oh its you!!!!" tee hee.
Yeah I've definitely felt a kinship with you guys as well. We never did get to do our Clam Shell faceoff! :) But yeah I hope to still be around.Thanks for your blog, I have been an avid reader for many years now. Similar to the poster above, your guild reminds me a lot of my own. And being the GM of my guild, I can empathise with the stresses and issues tied in with leadership in this game.
My own guild has very recently experienced an exodus of many of the original 'core' players, so I am in the process of replacing them, however, if I wasn't still so interested in the game/raiding, I could see myself making a similar decision as you have.
Good luck in all your future endeavors@Darraxus: Oh! I see what you did there! :) Hugs.
@Klep: Oh Klep, my crazy crazy Klep. I <3 your sense of humor. You never fail to amuse me. Hope you're keeping yourself well and unfrozen over there in Wisconsin! Wasn't the temperature like negative gazillion the other day?
@Aceral: Aw thanks. It's hard to know how long you go, you know? I know Jess and I had conversations wondering how long we'd play.
I by no means think that the game is in decline or anything, though I do wonder if the game has a finite length of time for any given player. And for me perhaps at nearly 6 years, I was on the tail end of it. Or perhaps if my real life was in a different place, I wouldn't have left. Hard to know.
Anyways, best of luck with your guild as well!- AnonymousJanuary 24, 2013 at 7:32 PM
Long-time lurker here. I'm sorry to see you go, and wish you the best of luck with your real life adventures outside of Azeroth.
May your feet find good trails!
-ellori - NicolauseJanuary 25, 2013 at 12:26 AM
... heh. "A resto druid, a holy pally and a resto shammy walk into a bar".
The three of us were quite the healing team there for a while, weren't we? Imma miss that a lot. It's been an honor working with you, Mom. It'll still be your Mana Tide Totem, no matter what anyone else says. Fair winds and following seas, old friend... - AnonymousJanuary 28, 2013 at 11:36 PM
Best of luck in whatever you choose to do next *hugs*


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Adam Jewell took this photo of Capitol Reef National Park in May 2011 while hiking the Chimney Rock Trail.
"Hoodoos and towering red rock castles are just some of the spectacular sights that delight visitors to Capitol Reef National Park," Jewell tells TODAY.com.
Jewell captured the photo during the second year of a planned four-year road trip to all the national parks in the lower 48 states. Too often, Jewell says, Capitol Reef is overlooked because other Utah national parks such as Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion get all the attention.
"Capitol Reef National Park features brilliantly colored rock formations along the Waterpocket Fold as well as canyon hikes, arches, natural bridges and the Fremont River," he says.
If you have photos you'd like to share, submit them for a chance to be featured in the weekly gallery.
In the meantime, be sure to check out this week's It's a Snap gallery and vote for your favorite photo.
More on TODAY Travel


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The monumental 1982 Keith Haring drawing Untitled is not often on view, so its inclusion in the Museum's current installation Contemporary Galleries: 1980–Now seems like an ideal opportunity to think about how this artist's iconic visual language fits into the larger story of 20th-century art.
Resolutely horizontal, this ink drawing on two sheets of paper stretches out to over 50 feet in length. Its frieze-like composition relates to the public aspect of Haring's project, evoking the graffiti drawings he contributed to New York City's subways and sidewalks in the 1980s. At first glance, the intricate web of marks overwhelms with its graphic totality; looking closer, Haring's trademark icons emerge from the overall design. Winged men and dancing dogs, three-eyed aliens and hovering spaceships, wriggling snakes and epic phalluses, lightbulbs and nuclear symbols, all populate the drawing.
The work is pinned across three walls on MoMA's 2nd floor in a truly immersive presentation. Shown alongside work by Haring's contemporaries such as Jeff Koons, Martin Wong, and artist-run collectives like ABC No Rio and COLAB, the drawing can be appreciated in its art-historical and social contexts. Important to understanding any art, these frameworks are especially crucial for Haring, whose aesthetics turned increasingly toward activism after he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988.
It's also worthwhile, I think, to consider Haring alongside other brethren—artists whom he might not have (or couldn't have) known chronologically, but with whom he shares something formally. Walking out of the 2nd-floor galleries, for example, I couldn't help but reconsider the Brice Marden mural hung high in the Agnes Gund Garden Lobby in relation to the Haring I'd just seen. Though emphatically abstract, Marden's The Propitious Garden of Plane Image, Third Version (2000-06) shares not only the Haring drawing's scale and format, but also its all-over, calligraphic sense of line.
Another horizontal work often hung in the lobby is Joan Miró's Mural Painting (1950-51). If any other artist has as personal and recognizable an iconographic language as Haring, it's this Catalan Surrealist. Miró's dual interest in automatism and anatomy aligns strikingly with Haring's own use of line to render the body in shorthand. Miró's simplified, even cartoonish, personages with their priapic protuberances anticipate Haring's own recurrent characters.
In the audio guide for Haring's drawing, Julia Gruen, once the artist's friend and studio manager and now the Executive Director of the Keith Haring Foundation, remarks that when Haring "put the brush to the paper, it simply flowed down his body, out the brush in this extraordinary continuous movement." This description evokes the language regularly used to describe Jackson Pollock's kinetic application of paint in canvases like One: Number 31, 1950 (1950; currently on view on the 4th floor). But perhaps the earlier Pollock drawing Sheet of Studies (c. 1939-42), in which he fills the sheet with icons ranging from Jungian archetypes to Picassoid quotations to purely graphical marks, is an even more fitting forerunner.


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German physician and medical writer; born at Pollnow, Pomerania, May 29, 1851; educated at the gymnasium at Stolp and at the University of Berlin (M.D. 1875). In 1876 he established himself as a physician in Berlin, receiving from the university in that city the "venia legendi" in 1891, and the title of professor in 1898. In 1902 he became assistant professor of the history of medicine.
Pagel has been since 1885 assistant editor of Hirsch's "Biographisches Lexikon"; he is also editor of the "Deutsche Aerzte-Zeitung" and of the "Biographisches Lexikon Hervorragender Aerzte des Neunzehnten Jahrhunderts," Berlin and Vienna, 1901; and since 1899 he has been collaborator for medical history on Virchow's "Jahresbericht über die Leistungen und Fortschritte in der Gesammten Medizin."
Among his works may be mentioned: "Die Anatomic des H. v. Mondeville," Berlin, 1889; "Die Chirurgie des H. v. Mondeville," ib. 1892 (French transl. by E. Nicaise, Paris, 1893); "Die Angebliche Chirurgie des Joh. Mesuë," Berlin, 1893; "Medizinische Deontologie," ib. 1896; "Entwickelung der Medizin in Berlin," Wiesbaden, 1897; "Einführung in die Gesch. der Medizin," Berlin, 1898; "Medizinische Encyclopädie und Methodologie," ib. 1899.
Pagel has also written essays for the "Allgemeine Zeitung des Judenthums," among others "Gebet des Maimonides," "Doctor Esra," etc.
- Pagel, Biog. Lex.


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Frederica Mathewes-Green
Frederica Mathewes-Green is a wide-ranging author, whose work has appeared in such diverse publications as the Washington Post, Christianity Today,Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Times, First Things, Books & Culture, Sojourners,Touchstone, and the Wall Street Journal. She writes regularly for the multifaith web magazine Beliefnet.com, and writes movie reviews for National Review Online and Christianity Today Movies.
She has published 9 books, including Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy (HarperCollins, 1997) and The Illumined Heart: The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation (Paraclete, 2001). In the past, her commentaries have been heard on National Public Radio's All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Her essays were selected for Best Christian Writing in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006, and Best Spiritual Writing in 1998 and 2007. She has published over 600 articles.
She has also appeared as a speaker over 400 times, at places like Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Wellesley, Cornell, Calvin, Baylor, and Westmont; at the Smithsonian Institute, the Aspen Institute, Washington National Cathedral, the Los Angeles Times Book Festival, the American Academy of Religion, the Veritas Forum, the Family Research Council, and the National Right to Life Committee.
She has been interviewed on PrimeTime Live, the Diane Rehm Show, the 700 Club, PBS, CNN, NBC, Fox News, and by Time, Newsweek, the New Republic, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the New York Times.
She lives with her husband, the Rev. Gregory Mathewes-Green, in Baltimore, MD, where he is pastor and she is "Khouria" ("Mother") of the parish they founded, Holy Cross Orthodox Church. Their three children are grown and married, and they have 10 grandchildren. Since 1997, Frederica has been recording books for the blind with the Radio Reading Network of Maryland.


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I've been asked to post the following hiring announcement by our friends at Harvard Law School's Petrie-Flom Center:
In connection with our work on a sponsored research project with the National Football League Players Association, the Petrie-Flom Center seeks to hire a Senior Law and Ethics Associate immediately. (Please note that this is a distinct position from the one we recently advertised working with Harvard Catalyst on clinical and translational research.)
We are seeking a full-time doctoral-level hire (J.D., M.D., Ph.D., etc. in law, ethics, public health, social science, or other relevant discipline) with extensive knowledge of and interest in legal and ethical issues related to the health and welfare of professional athletes. The position will be funded for at least two years, with renewal likely for an additional year or more.
View the full job description and apply here.
For questions, contact [email protected] or 617-496-4662.


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George Bush Sr. on War & PeacePresident of the U.S., 1989-1993; Former Republican Rep. (TX) | |
The Hungarians were challenging Soviet power directly and moving toward multiparty elections. More astonishingly, Hungary had decided to dismantle the barbed wire demarcating its borders with Austria. Communism in Poland had lost its ferocity.
It was clear that the party's demise was sealed the next day when we went to the city of Gdansk, the home of Solidarity. President Bush was greeted in the town square by hundreds of thousands of cheering Polish workers. "Bush, Bush, Bush!" they chanted, waving American flags. "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!"
I turned to a colleague and said, "I don't think this is what Karl Marx had in mind when he said, 'Workers of the world, unite.'"
And yet, Bush seemed to take extremely seriously the responsibility of sending American soldiers and sailors into a war. He agonized over sending troops into Panama, and then even more so in the days leading up to the start of the Gulf War. No doubt it was the result of his own experience as a young man, just out of Andover and thrown into the thick of the mayhem in the South Pacific. He wrote home to his parents that he hoped his younger brothers would be able to avoid combat: "I hope John and Buck and my own children never have to fight a war. Friends disappearing, lives being extinguished. It's just not right. The glory of being a career pilot has certainly worn off."
Students rushed to enlist, though the headmaster urged them to stay in school. "My reaction was one of shock, almost disbelief," recalled George Bush. "I didn't fully comprehend world affairs. My interests were our undefeated soccer season. Christmas vacation was only a couple of weeks away and then graduation. Then I guess that was followed by the typical American reaction that we had better do something about this. I remember the country's instant coming together for a common purpose--we wanted to fight for our country."
Poppy wrote to his parents; "I made up my mind to go into the service and be a naval aviator," he said. His mother and father pleaded with him to stay in school and go on to Yale. He promised his parents that he would at least wait until graduation in the spring of 1942.
No one ever questioned his actions about bailing out over Chichi-Jima until he ran for President in 1992. An eyewitness to the flight in 1944 contradicted George's claim about the plane and cockpit being on fire. He said he remembered only "a puff of smoke" that quickly dissipated. Others had different recollections. George's wingman said, "he got hit and went on in, smoking."
Smoke is a critical issue in this story. If a pilot's plane was not on fire, he was trained to make a water landing in order to put his crew in a better position for rescue. George had not done that. He bailed instead.
After the Bushes returned to Washington, they produced a glossy campaign pamphlet of colored photos showing George praying at the Wailing Wall and approaching Auschwitz with Barbara. The flyer mailed to Jewish voters in the US was titled "George Bush. The one candidate who has proven his commitment to the Jewish people." The text quoted him as saying, "I oppose the creation of an independent Palestinian state; its establishment is inimical to the security interests of Israel, Jordan and the US." In his pamphlet, George said he was "the highest ranking US official to have seen firsthand the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz."
Every President must quickly adopt a strategy when troubling events unfold: He can stop everything else and focus very publicly on the crisis or handle the situation while trying to stick to his official schedule. Bill remained in California but stayed in constant touch with his national security team. Then the news got worse: The body found of an American serviceman had been dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, an appalling act of barbarity orchestrated by the Somali warlord General Mohamed Aideed.
BUSH: I vowed something, because I learned something from Vietnam: I am not going to commit US forces until I know what the mission is, until the military tell me that it can be completed, until I know how they can come out. We are helping. American airplanes are helping today on humanitarian relief for Sarajevo. But when you go to put somebody else's son or daughter into war, I think you've got to be a little bit careful, and you have to be sure that there's a military plan that can do this. You have ancient ethnic rivalries that have cropped up as Yugoslavia dissolves. It isn't going to be solved by sending in the 82d Airborne, and I'm not going to do that.
CLINTON: We can't get involved with ground forces in the quagmire, but we must do what we can. I applaud the no-fly zone, and I think we should stiffen the embargo on the Belgrade government.
When I was abroad I had a brief meeting with Tudjman and a meeting with the Bosnian President. We're terribly troubled by all of this and without throwing a lot of American troops into the fray, we're trying to bring about peace in the area.
Whatever happens, it is essential that this issue not be allowed to weaken, much less cast doubt upon, the core relationship between the US and Israel.I have come to believe that the measure of a good relationship is not the ability to agree, but rather the ability to disagree on specifics without placing fundamentals at risk. We do this all the time with Britain: we should manage to do it with Israel.
I mean to speak this evening of the changes that can take place in our country, now that we can stop making the sacrifices we had to make when we had an avowed enemy that was a superpower. Now we can look homeward even more and move to set right what needs to be set right.
I will speak of those things. But let me tell you something I've been thinking these past few months. It's a kind of rollcall of honor. For the cold war didn't end; it was won. And I think of those who won it, in places like Korea and Vietnam. And some of them didn't come back. Back then they were heroes, but this year they were victors.
So now, for the first time in 35 years, our strategic bombers stand down. No longer are they on 'round-the-clock alert. There are still threats. But the long, drawn-out dread is over.
We intend our engagement throughout the negotiation to be significant. We and the Soviet Union will be a driving force behind the negotiations, cajoling and pressing the parties forward. We will be doing so on the only basis possible for a comprehensive peace: Territory for peace applied to all fronts, including the Golan Heights. We will not change this fundamental policy position of ours; nor will we change our non-recognition of Israel's purported "Annexation" of the Golan Heights.
To increase the probability of a successful outcome on the Golan, I make the offer of a US Security guarantee of the border that Israel and Syria mutually agreed upon. This security guarantee--which is unprecedented and far-reaching--will affect the negotiations and their outcome far more than any symbols relating to the UN or a conference.
Q: Mr. President, do you think now that East Germany appears to be moving in the direction of Poland and Hungary that the rest of the Eastern Bloc can continue to resist this?
A: No, I don't think anyone can resist it, in Europe or in the Western Hemisphere.
Q: Did you ever imagine anything like this happening?
A: We've imagined it, but I can't say I foresaw this development at this stage. Now, I didn't foresee it, but imagining it--yes. When I talk about a Europe whole and free, we're talking about this kind of freedom to come and go.
Q: You don't seem elated.
A: I am not an emotional kind of guy.
Q: Well, how elated are you?
A: I'm very pleased.
"Well, this doesn't square with real-world experience. Diplomacy and military capability are complementary; they're not contradictory. Creative diplomacy can help us avert conflict. Negotiations stand the greatest chance of success when they proceed from a position of strength. The fundamental lesson of this decade is simply this: Strength secures the peace. America will continue to be a force for peace and stability in the world provided we stay strong."
A year ago in Poland, Lech Walesa declared that he was ready to open a dialog with the Communist rulers of that country; and today, with the future of a free Poland in their own hands, members of Solidarity lead the Polish Government.
And 1 year ago, Erich Honecker of East Germany claimed history as his guide, and he predicted the Berlin Wall would last another hundred years. And today, less than 1 year later, it's the Wall that's history.
The President: We've got a lot of hawks out there; we've got a lot of macho guys out there that want
me to send somebody else's kid into battle. And what I will do is prudently assess the situation at the time. And that doesn't mean under some provocation or some denial of our rights as the USA, that I'd be afraid to use force. But for these instant
hawks on Capitol Hill, they don't bother me one bit because the American people supported me by over 2 to 1, and I think I sent a strong signal to the countries represented around this table that we are not imprudently going to use the force of the US.
If somebody lays a glove on an American citizen there in the Canal Zone or where we have certain treaty rights, then we've got another story.
(Interview with Latin American journalists, White House Roosevelt Room.)
"I remember very clearly Colin Powell saying that this thing was turning into a massacre," Robert Gates, then the deputy national security adviser later recalled. "And that to continue it beyond a certain point would be un-American, and he even used the word unchivalrous." Bush agreed, and drew the war to a quick close. After the war ended, President Bush urged Iraqis to "take matters into their own hands."
For this part, Saddam Hussein came to believe that the United States lacked the commitment to follow through on its rhetoric. He saw America as unwilling to take the risks necessary for an invasion of Iraq.
In 1990, Pres. Bush I even sent a high-level congressional delegation, led by Sen. Bob Dole, to convey his personal greetings to his good friend and to assure him that he should disregard criticisms by "the haughty and pampered press," who are out of control.
A few months later Saddam defied or misunderstood orders, and shifted from admired friend to the embodiment of evil. All such matters have been consigned to the usual repository of unwelcome fact.
In fact, the whole "truth management" strategy has been adopted and perhaps even expanded by this next generation. Whole books have been devoted to the various dishonesties of George W's statements and policies.
"Yes, I'm very worried."
"Do you think it's a mistake?"
"Yes, ma'am," Boren replied. "I think it's a huge mistake if we go in right now, this way."
"Well, his father is certainly worried and is losing sleep over it. He's up at night worried."
"Why doesn't he talk to him?"
"He doesn't think he should unless he's asked." It was the father-son distance, she said, and he didn't think he should volunteer.
"Well," Boren responded, "I understand the feeling of a father but he's a former president and an expert in this area."
Barbara shook her head solemnly, almost woefully.
Later, Boren greeted Bush senior. "Do you ever see our mutual friend, Colin?" the former president asked.
"Just sometimes."
"Be sure to tell him I sure think he's doing a good job."
Both men knew Powell was the reluctant warrior, trying to solve the Iraq problem with diplomacy.
Rumsfeld was right. In the years afterward, the Reagan and HW Bush administrations authorized the sale to Iraq of precursors to chemical and biological weapons, including anthrax and bubonic plague, as well as conventional weapons such as Chilean cluster bombs.
The 1988 gassing of thousands of Kurds hardly dimmed the enthusiasm of the two Republican administrations. In fact, US military intelligence actually expanded its contributions to the Butcher of Baghdad after the gas attack. But all of that came to an abrupt end when, on August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. That put Saddam Hussein in control of 20% of the world's crude oil reserves. The love affair between the Republican right and the Baathist ultraright was over.
The President also met with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador Prince Bandar. Bush told him the Pentagon had satellite photos showing Iraqi troops massing on the Saudi border. This was false. The photos did not show what the President claimed, and Bush felt he needed to exaggerate the danger of an Iraqi invasion to obtain consent to deploy American troops on Saudi soil. Once he had Saudi consent, the President understated the number of troops he intended to deploy in Saudi Arabia. He told Prince Bandar he would send 100,000 troops when he planned to send 250,000.
As with many of Bush's responses to criticism, this one turned out to be false. In the book that George Herbert Walker Bush and Brent Scowcroft wrote, "A World Transformed," they detailed the "incalculable human and political costs" of occupying Iraq. Further, in April 2003, after his son had taken the country to war against Iraq, the former President agonized with his friend Scowcroft. Partners in the Scowcroft Group recalled both men bemoaning the son's actions, saying that George W. Bush "was undoing a lifetime of work."
Inside Iraq, the aftermath of the war was complicated. Incited by the US and its victory over Saddam, Shiite Muslims in the south, long sympathetic to neighboring Iran, and the Kurdish minority in the north began rebellions that threatened Saddam�s rule. The insurrections were brutally repressed by Saddam, and the US failed to intercede. In the north Saddam�s campaign against the Kurds was blocked by the imposition of an Iraqi no-fly zone, a humanitarian relief mission, and threats of U.S. intervention should Saddam attempt to repress the Kurdish elements there. What followed was an angry cessation of hostilities.
It is true. He used chemical weapons against his own people, but there is a phrase missing: "with the aid and support of Daddy Bush," who thought that was just fine. He continued to provide aid and support for the monster, and so did Britain.
At that time he was far more dangerous that he is today. Iraq was then a much more powerful state. And nothing was considered wrong with this. In fact, in early 1990--a couple of months before the invasion of Kuwait-- President Bush #1 sent a high-level senatorial delegation headed by Bob Dole, later the Republican presidential candidate, to Iraq to convey his greetings to his friend Saddam Hussein.
They didn't ask for any aid from the US. The most they asked for was that the US allow them access to captured Iraqi equipment. George Bush the 1st had a different idea. He authorized his friend Saddam Hussein to use air power to crush the Shiite resistance.
"Yes, sir," Powell replied. That was the goal of both the US and the UN: Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. If there was no war, no US servicemen would be killed.
{Adviser Brent] Scowcroft jumped on Powell. "Don't you realize that if he pulls out, it will be impossible for us to stay," Scowcroft asked. Bush nodded in agreement. It would be politically and logistically impossible to keep the troops there for an extended period. The nightmare would be for Saddam to pull out of Kuwait but stay on the border.
A diplomatic solution would in fact bring about a larger crisis. There was no diplomatic victory that could destroy Saddam's army. Looking squarely at his advisers, the president said plainly, "We have to have a war." His words hung in the air as heavily as any he had ever spoken.
I was convinced, as were all our Arab friends and allies, that Hussein would be overthrown once the war ended. That did not and has still not happened. We underestimated his brutality and cruelty to his own people and the stranglehold he has on his country. We were disappointed, but I still do not regret my decision to end the war when we did. I do not believe in what I call �mission creep.� Our mission, as mandated by the UN, was clear: end the aggression. We did that. We liberated Kuwait and destroyed Hussein�s military machine so that he could no longer threaten his neighbors.
What is at stake is more than one small country; it is a big idea: a new world order, where diverse nations are drawn together in common cause to achieve the universal aspirations of mankind--peace and security, freedom, and the rule of law. Such is a world worthy of our struggle and worthy of our children's future.
The community of nations has resolutely gathered to condemn and repel lawless aggression. Saddam Hussein's unprovoked invasion--his ruthless, systematic rape of a peaceful neighbor--violated everything the community of nations holds dear. The world has said this aggression would not stand, and it will not stand. Together, we have resisted the trap of appeasement, cynicism, and isolation that gives temptation to tyrants.
My mind always went back to the questions: �What if Hitler�s aggression had been checked earlier on? How many lives would have been saved?�
You state that �recourse to war� could make Saddam a hero and a martyr. Yes, there may be such a risk, but the risk of having him prevail is far worse. He has been the bully in the neighborhood for a long time.
Saddam tried to make the Palestine question the rallying cry, tried to use it to cover up his brutal takeover of Kuwait. I remain determined that he not link the Palestine question, which urgently needs a solution, to the rape of Kuwait.
We prefer a peaceful outcome. However, anything less than full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 678 and its predecessors is unacceptable. There can be no reward for aggression. Nor will there be any negotiation. However, by its full compliance, Iraq will gain the opportunity to rejoin the international community. But unless you withdraw from Kuwait completely and without condition, you will lose more than Kuwait. What is at issue here is not the future of Kuwait--it will be free, its government will be restored--but rather the future of Iraq. This choice is yours to make.
Bush supported the war in Vietnam, and made it clear that he thought poorly of those lads who chose not to fight. In a March 1998 letter to Tom Brokaw, who was writing a book about the WWII generation, Bush put it like this: "I have contempt for those who, when called, fail to serve. I hated the Vietnam syndrome--when people who served were vilified and spat upon. Those who ducked and dodged and fled only to let someone underprivileged take their places particularly offend my sense of honor."
As a freshman congressman he declared himself a staunch supporter of the war in Vietnam. "I will back the president no matter what weapons we use in Southeast Asia," he said after Pres. Lyndon Johnson escalated the war. "I am for our position in Vietnam and opposed to those who want to pull out and hand Southeast Asia to the Communist aggressors."
He reported "in every aspect of the war--political, economic and military--I saw or heard evidence of progress." He urged patience on the part of the US. "The losses the enemy is taking are heavy, and the Viet Cong are gradually losing their grip on the people in the countryside. These factors will ultimately force them to quit."
Two weeks later the enemy launched the Tet Offensive; it turned the American attitude toward the war. Still, George remained a hawk. He believed that only campus liberals believed that South Vietnam would not triumph over the north. He wrote on Easter Sunday, 1968, "I just don't buy that this is an immoral war on our part. These critics are immune to the repeated abuses, the sheer terror of the VC."
"But the point is.we had a generation of Americans that were taught about a deep conviction by professors and politicians and others that our purpose, our cause, was wrong. And then we condoned as a society certain excesses that we should have condemned. And I'm talking about an elevation of understanding about narcotics, for example, which gets right to the core of values."


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Call the snow line at 952-939-1399. Though local media including KSTP-TV and WCCO-TV are notified of a Hopkins' snow emergency, the stations do not guarantee the announcement will be broadcast. Also note that snow depths are measured in Hopkins and may not coincide with the snow depths reported at the Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport.The City also intends to send out notification messages about snow emergencies using Rave Mobile Safety. If you want to receive notifications, register your information on the Emergency Notifications page.
If you do not have anywhere to park your car off City streets and City parking lots, use the approved snow emergency parking locations. For details regarding locations view the Snow Emergency Parking Locations page.
If a snow emergency is declared in Hopkins during the afternoon or early evening, tagging and towing enforcement will normally begin at 9 p.m. and crews will begin plowing shortly after midnight. However, depending on the snow fall, tagging and towing could begin earlier. The Snow Line, 952-939-1399, will have the actual time. When a snow emergency is declared after 9 p.m., tagging and towing operations will begin at 8 a.m. on the following day.
If you've been towed due to the snow emergency, find out more about reclaiming your vehicle on the Snow Emergency Towing page.
In order to efficiently plow the snow from City streets, every vehicle needs to be off the streets. This allows plowing to be done as quickly as possible.
Plowing around cars would mean that plows would have to come back to streets after cars have been moved. In addition, freezing conditions may cause ridges to form where cars are plowed around. It can be very difficult to remove these ridges.
Off street parking can be difficult to find in parts of Hopkins. Much of Hopkins was built when there were fewer cars. It is not uncommon for households to have three or more vehicles. Banning on street parking would be a hardship for many households.
When deciding whether to call a snow emergency, the City not only looks at the short term forecast but also takes into consideration the time of year. In December or January, a 2 inch snowfall may be followed by freezing conditions or additional snowfalls. It is important to prevent a small snowfall from freezing on the streets. A larger snowfall in March or April may be followed by 40 degrees temperatures. There is no point in going to the expense and inconvenience of calling a snow emergency if the snow is going to melt fairly quickly.
The City does not get any of the money that is charged to vehicle owners when their vehicles are towed. All of the money goes to the towing contractor. The best possible outcome for a snow emergency is to have no vehicles towed.
Under a snowfall of 3 to 5 inches, if a snow emergency is called, and all equipment and personnel are dispatched, we can finish plowing and salting operations in 8 hours. It doesn't take that much less time to do if there is less snow as we still have to drive all the streets and alleys. It takes more time to remove deeper snow.


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Santa Monica College Dean of Counseling and Retention Brenda Johnson Benson has been named SMC's 2013 Manager of the Year.
Benson has worked tirelessly for nearly 30 years to provide crucial support services to students in virtually all areas – from transferring to four-year universities to helping veteran students.
In announcing his choice for the honor, SMC President Dr. Chui L. Tsang said, "Brenda personifies the best of Santa Monica College, combining a nurturing and supportive management style with a push for constant improvement and innovation. She is truly an outstanding manager."
The daughter of a teacher and a tennis coach, the Westchester resident – who was recently named an outstanding educator ("Best of L.A. Education People") by L.A. Weekly – began working at SMC as an intern while a graduate student in the School of Education at UCLA.
She fell in love with her work at SMC and moved up the ranks from intern to counselor to coordinator/assistant dean of transfer services, a position she held for ten years from 1988 to 1998.
It was in this capacity and with her leadership that, in 1989, SMC first distinguished itself as the leader in transfer, sending more students to the University of California system than any other community college in the state.
This is a record that the college continues to maintain.
"Brenda is a strong and unyielding advocate for her students, colleagues and the community college mission," said SMC Transfer Center faculty leader Dan Nannini, "She is an educator for the educators and, for this, she is held in the highest regard."
In 1998, Benson was promoted to her current position, Dean of Counseling and Retention, where her focus shifted to developing strategies that would support SMC – an "open door" community college – to both retain students until graduation and to support them with tools needed to succeed both during and after their time at SMC.
Each semester, the SMC Counseling Department works with other campus programs and departments to deliver a myriad of orientation events, workshops and courses, all designed to lead to student success.
Over the past 15 years these programs have proven to be key in supporting SMC students to complete their education and achieve their goals.
SMC's annual fall season VIP Welcome Day has been a particularly successful and well attended orientation/retention event.
Now in its 9th year, VIP Welcome Day typically brings 4,000 to 5,000 new students and their families to campus for a day of student success workshops and an opportunity to interact with SMC faculty and staff.
Research has shown that this one event increases fall-to-fall student persistence by 49 percent.
She also oversees 10 specialized counseling programs that serve veterans and other underrepresented student populations.
The SMC Veterans Resource Center currently supports over 600 student veterans and provides critical services that help these students while making the adjustment from military to civilian life.
Benson is currently near the end of a one-year term as President of the SMC Management Association.
She has also, over the years, been active on statewide committees related to counseling and transfer, and co-authored the minimum standards for California Community College Transfer Centers.