text:
Friday, April 2, 2010
Author Success Story: Lisa and Laura Roecker
Dude, you know you have.
Click here for more inspiration: Lisa and Laura Roecker, Beth Revis, Leah Clifford, Victoria Schwab, Kirsten Hubbard, Susan Adrian, Dawn Metcalf, Kim Harrington, Carrie Harris, Amy Holder, Kathy McCullough, Suzette Saxton and Bethany Wiggins, Gretchen McNeil and Tiffany Schmidt.
I will be featured on Lisa and Laura Roecker's blog today! Please go check out mine--and all the posts--because you never know who's going to say exactly what you need to hear to keep moving forward.
Today I've got the sistahs Lisa and Laura Roecker.
LIAR SOCIETY in a tweet: When Kate gets an e-mail from her dead best friend she decides to channel Nancy Drew. A hotter, bitchier Nancy Drew, but you get the idea.
Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you?
Our first attempt at a novel was pretty wretched, but there were a handful of agents who found our voice intriguing enough to give us real feedback. When we finally laid that craptastic manuscript to rest (RIP The North Shore) we were so, so tempted just to throw in the towel, but we loved writing together too much. So, we gave it another shot and finished our next project within a few months. That project turned into LIAR SOCIETY. [Elana interrupts to say they only had to query for like, a day--so not fair. And they got three offers, and are repped by Catherine Drayton at Inkwell Management.]
What has been the hardest part of your road to publication so far? And why?
The hardest by far was being on submission to editors. It was hell. We basically spent 5 months living on pins and needles. We suck at waiting and that's pretty much all there is to do while you're out on submission. That and obsessively check Stat Counter. [Elana interrupts--ooooh! Stat Counter! Shiny...]
What's your best advice to aspiring authors?
Keep writing, keep reading, spend time getting to know other writers, find an amazing beta reader and never say die.
Super Secret: If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?
This is such a hard question and we always over think it because let's face it if you go with a famous author or historical figure or whatever, chances are it's going to be totally awkward, you know? I mean what the hell would we have in common with Marie Antoinette aside from a shared love of cake?
So, you know what? We're going to say Libba Bray because we've already met her and we think she's AWESOME and maybe if we start stalking her, we'll all magically become besties.
Find Lisa and Laura online:
Lisa & Laura's blog
Lisa & Laura's website
Lisa & Laura tweet!
Add LIAR SOCIETY to your Goodreads list! Forthcoming from Sourcebooks in Spring 2011.
Read Lisa & Laura's journey--and their query letter--on QT.
72 comments:
- TerryLynnJohnson said...
Liar Society sounds like such fun! Love the pitch line!
I'm adding it to Goodreads! Great interview and story of just trying again. - April 2, 2010 at 6:06 AM
- Anne Gallagher said...
Great interview. Good luck Lisa and Laura. Liar Society sounds like a fantastic read!!!
- April 2, 2010 at 6:09 AM
- Susan Fields said...
I agree - love the interview, though I'm sooo jealous about the one day of querying!
- April 2, 2010 at 6:10 AM
- Candyland said...
LOVE ME SOME LILA!!! Another great interview!!!
- April 2, 2010 at 6:16 AM
- Alex J. Cavanaugh said...
Two authors for a book sounds challenging.
- April 2, 2010 at 6:21 AM
- Matthew MacNish said...
Thanks Elana, Lisa and Laura, I just have to say: Sisters that can work closely enough together for as long as it takes to write a novel? Dude, that's awesome.
Best of luck in all your future endeavors!
Shameless promotion:
Please visit my blog and comment today. I have a post by guest blogger Justine Dell where she shares an ACTUAL query letter of hers that found success.
She is a wonderfully lady, always willing to help another writer and I would really like her to get the recognition she deserves.
Thanks! - April 2, 2010 at 6:21 AM
- sarahjayne smythe said...
Great interview. So upbeat. I love it. Thank you for sharing it.
- April 2, 2010 at 6:26 AM
- Kerri Cuev said...
Thanks for the fun week of interviews!
Have a great weekend! - April 2, 2010 at 6:39 AM
- Theresa Milstein said...
Who wouldn't love a mystery with a hotter and bitchier Nancy Drew!
- April 2, 2010 at 6:44 AM
- Stephanie Faris said...
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been on submission for five months and it's driving me crazy. I keep thinking I'm the only one who's ever gone through this (although I know I'm not). You just don't often hear about authors with agents who are stuck in this limbo of waiting for things to happen. Authors are either looking for an agent or already published. Waiting sucks!
- April 2, 2010 at 6:45 AM
- Emily J. Griffin said...
Lisa and Laure are 15 kinds of awesome and so are you Elana!
This idea has been wonderful! - April 2, 2010 at 6:49 AM
- Zoe C. Courtman said...
Man. I love that we can attain the mythical one-day query process - but then be stuck for five months waiting while it's out on sub. What a ride, right? What's the best way to deal with those out-on-submission doldrums? I guess just dive right in to the next novel!
- April 2, 2010 at 6:50 AM
- Linda Kage said...
Congrats to Lisa and Laura. You guys are so inspiring.
- April 2, 2010 at 6:58 AM
- Elisa Dane said...
Congrats on only having to query for a day. That totally rocks!!!
Like the idea of a bitchy Nancy Drew too. Sounds like a fun read! - April 2, 2010 at 7:02 AM
- Christi Goddard said...
Hm. So far, Elana, you interject to say these authors got multiple interest from their queries. That's all fabulous, of course, but it makes someone like me say 'well, if they queried and got lots of interest simultaneously, and I've been querying the same work for two months and have zero interest... towel time.' It seems clear that agents have similar preferences, and mine's not on the list. Or maybe I'm just cranky and pre-caffeined.
- April 2, 2010 at 7:07 AM
- Jemi Fraser said...
The pitch line is perfect - makes me laugh and want to know more right off the bat!
Can't wait unitl Liar Society is in print!! :) - April 2, 2010 at 7:19 AM
- Lydia Kang said...
Hey Lisa and Laura,
You guys rock! And Liar Society sounds awesome... - April 2, 2010 at 7:19 AM
- Christina Lee said...
YAY LiLa-- you already know I lurve you!
Can't wait for your moment in the SUN!
Although you shine pretty brightly already, without any help! - April 2, 2010 at 7:24 AM
- Katie Ganshert said...
That tweet about the story is awesome!
- April 2, 2010 at 7:32 AM
- lisa and laura said...
Thanks so much for having us Elana! And for anyone who wants to be REALLY inspired, come check out our interview with Elana. She might be the most inspiring writer we've met in our entire life. Not to mention crazy talented, and an amazing friend. We love you, E!
- April 2, 2010 at 7:40 AM
- Christine Danek said...
Great interview and great advice! You gals rock!
- April 2, 2010 at 7:43 AM
- Ann Marie Wraight said...
How about calling yourselves;
Loved it - popping over to become a follower of your blog sisters!
Thanks Elana! - April 2, 2010 at 7:47 AM
- Talli Roland said...
Great interview Elana and I really enjoyed reading yours, too, on Lisa and Laura's site.
Thanks! - April 2, 2010 at 7:55 AM
- Christine Fonseca said...
Great interview ladies - Love it!
- April 2, 2010 at 7:59 AM
Thanks for the interview, ladies. Liar's Society will be a must for my DD.
And I might I add, I love your spunk. If this carries over to your novel, I'm all over that like an ant on Miss 'Toinette's cake. - April 2, 2010 at 8:05 AM
- Tere Kirkland said...
Great interview, Elana, LiLa! Except for the shocking lack of mention of how many Twizzlers y'all consumed during submission. ;)
- April 2, 2010 at 8:14 AM
- Natalie Aguirre said...
Great interview. I loved their query in your book.
- April 2, 2010 at 8:21 AM
- PJ Hoover said...
The idea of joint novels is so intriguing. I'd love to try it someday.
Great interview! - April 2, 2010 at 8:27 AM
- Jude said...
a hotter and bitchier Nancy Drew? I'm sold.
- April 2, 2010 at 8:36 AM
- Linda G. said...
I think it's so cool that you guys can work together like this! Congrats on you success. :)
Elana, I've loved this whole inspirational week. Thanks again to you and everyone who participated. - April 2, 2010 at 8:37 AM
- Stephanie Thornton said...
Elana, I knew combining you, Lisa, and Laura into one post was going to be awesome. You totally didn't disappoint!
I wouldn't mind meeting Libba Bray either- her books are great! - April 2, 2010 at 8:47 AM
- Crystal Cook said...
Elana I love your interruptions!
And another great post, never say die!! Huzzah! - April 2, 2010 at 8:49 AM
- erica m. chapman said...
Love.Love.Love LiLa - awesome writers and bloggers. Great job on the interview to all three of you!! Okay, off to read yours on LiLa's blog ;o)
Have a great weekend! - April 2, 2010 at 8:50 AM
- Kathy McCullough said...
I love these two. They seem like really fun, nice, smart and talented writers. I love reading about them.
- April 2, 2010 at 9:09 AM
- Carolyn V. said...
*squeal* I'm so excited for LiLa's book to come out! They are so amazing! Great interview Elana! =)
- April 2, 2010 at 9:09 AM
- Sara B. Larson said...
What a great interview, thanks for another great one ladies! LIAR SOCIETY sounds like such a fun read, can't wait! Congrats on the success. :-) I hope I won't have to wait 5 months on submission, but if I do, I guess I'll know who to talk with to get me through it! ;p
- April 2, 2010 at 9:10 AM
- Alissa Grosso said...
Thanks for another great interview!
- April 2, 2010 at 9:33 AM
- Jennie Englund said...
Another splendid interview. All this paying it forward HAS to go somewhere for you. Hoping, hoping.
- April 2, 2010 at 9:51 AM
- Susan R. Mills said...
Thanks for another great interview. I'll head over to their place now to see yours.
- April 2, 2010 at 9:56 AM
- Unknown said...
Those girls are such ROCKSTARS! ;) Awesome story! :)
- April 2, 2010 at 10:10 AM
- S.A. Larsenッ said...
Love this Elana!! I've seen you two girls hanging around one site or another, wondering what was up with these witty girls. Nice to be informed now. Thanks for sharing, Lisa & Laura. You have a great story to share!!
- April 2, 2010 at 10:28 AM
- Kayeleen Hamblin said...
Great interview. It's been a fabulous week. Very inspiring. Thanks for setting this up.
Also, I just noticed you passed the 1000 follower mark. Wow!
Happy Easter. - April 2, 2010 at 10:32 AM
- Shannon O'Donnell said...
First comes Elana Johnson and then come LiLa on the coolness scale - how do you NOT adore those two?! Love 'em! :-)
- April 2, 2010 at 11:02 AM
- About Me said...
Thanks for sharing your road to pub story.
- April 2, 2010 at 11:15 AM
- Voidwalker said...
I agree with Emily's comment... "15 kinds of awesome."
Hope is a good thing, don't stop spreading it. We newbies need all we can get. It's a tough road. - April 2, 2010 at 11:32 AM
- Unknown said...
Elana this was such a great idea! I loved all the interviews and everyone who participated it was amazing!!!
Lisa & Laura rock! - April 2, 2010 at 2:28 PM
- ~Jamie said...
My favorite part about Lisa and Laura is that in my mind they are the SAME person :)
LOVE the interview and can't wait to read the book!!! - April 2, 2010 at 2:44 PM
- Jill Kemerer said...
What an exciting year! Congrats!
- April 2, 2010 at 2:47 PM
- Amy Holder said...
Great interview! You two are so funny and entertaining, I have no doubt that I'll be in love with LIAR SOCIETY! Can't wait to read it!
- April 2, 2010 at 4:06 PM
- Katie Anderson said...
Can't WAIT for the LIAR SOCIETY!!!!! Woo hoo!
Thanks for such a fun idea Elana - and a great interview Lila! - April 2, 2010 at 4:17 PM
- Unknown said...
Now I'm going to have to backtrack and read all of these! Awesome and completely fun interview. What a great week I've missed!
- April 2, 2010 at 4:31 PM
- Shannon Messenger said...
Yay for LiLa. It's only a matter of time before they take over the world. Here's hoping they remember us little people when they do. ;)
Great week Elana. So many inspiring stories to read. You rock! - April 2, 2010 at 5:33 PM
- Little Ms J said...
I can't wait to meet this hotter, bitchier Nancy Drew. Just please tell me she doesn't have titian hair. That used to drive me nuts!
Yay for LiLa! - April 2, 2010 at 6:48 PM
- Unknown said...
Such a great interview! I can't wait to buy their book -- hell, every book the sell!
Thanks for the awesome week!! - April 2, 2010 at 6:49 PM
- Unknown said...
Thanks for posting this ... you're keeping my dream alive ;)
- April 2, 2010 at 6:52 PM
- Unknown said...
Thanks for posting this ... you're keeping my dream alive ;)
- April 2, 2010 at 6:52 PM
- Robin M said...
Great interview and look forward to reading their books. Thanks Elana - you rock for setting this up. Learned much and will persevere.
- April 2, 2010 at 7:30 PM
- Unknown said...
Can't wait to read Liar Society (but kind of missing the old title...) I just stand in awe of LiLa's ability to write together. My sister and I would literally scratch each others' eyeballs out if we ever attempted such a venture.
- April 2, 2010 at 10:33 PM
- Jessica Bell said...
'never say die' couldn't have said it any better!
- April 3, 2010 at 2:17 AM
- Glynis Peters said...
Just catching up on your posts, Elana.
Great reads, thanks. - April 3, 2010 at 11:50 AM
- Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...
Oh man, I just adore these guys. Great interview, Elana. Liar Society sounds fantastic. I'm a bit jealous of their quick success...but they did have a rough go of it to start, and they persevered--so all is right with the world. :P
- April 3, 2010 at 1:46 PM
- lisa and laura said...
Thank you guys for all of the fabulous comments. I can't tell you how much they mean to us! Thanks for letting us play on your blog Elana! You've got a great group of followers/commenters over here!
- April 3, 2010 at 9:27 PM
- Arlee Bird said...
Greetings from Blogging From A to Z April Challenge
Thanks for your support!
Lee - April 4, 2010 at 1:09 AM
- Kristin said...
Love the interview! (And at least you guys had each other while waiting on pins and needles. And your Twizzlers.)
Thanks, Elana, as always! - April 4, 2010 at 3:42 PM
- Mary Aalgaard said...
The duel voices must be their secret weapon. It doesn't look like they had that long of a wait. Or, maybe, when two are together the motivation and support keep it alive so much easier. Bravo!
- April 4, 2010 at 8:23 PM
- Melissa Sarno said...
Yay! Love the power sisters and love to hear about people who have 'made it'. Thanks for these inspiring posts. :-)
- April 4, 2010 at 9:51 PM
- Jackee said...
ONE day of querying? You've got to be kidding me. You gals are good, very good (but I think I already knew that).
Thanks for the great interview, ladies! - April 4, 2010 at 10:18 PM
- Julia Phillips Smith said...
'Maybe if we start stalking her, we'll all magically become besties.' - LOL!
Enjoyed the interview, Lisa, Laura and Elana. A great thing for me to stumble upon after a tough writing day. - April 4, 2010 at 10:36 PM
- Donna Gambale said...
Love LiLa! Can't wait to read Liar Society.
- April 5, 2010 at 11:46 AM
- Donna Gambale said...
Love LiLa! Can't wait to read Liar Society.
- April 5, 2010 at 11:47 AM
- Sherrie Petersen said...
I think if I could meet anyone dead or alive, today my choice would be the Roecker sisters :)
- April 9, 2010 at 6:37 AM
- prashant said...
Great interview. Good luck Lisa and Laura. Liar Society sounds like a fantastic read!!!
data entry work from home - April 12, 2010 at 2:20 AM


text:
Staying Focused on Being Essential
In today's dynamic global economy, there's no standing still. Continuous innovation and decisive action are critical to stay ahead of the intensifying competition. This is the reality for every molder, moldmaker, and mold designer and it's the driving force behind today's DME worldwide.
For seven decades, DME has been a mold technologies leader. Our catalog remains the industry's broadest, our products the benchmark of high quality. And we continue to provide customers with knowledge, expertise and service that can't be matched. But we aren't satisfied—because our customers' needs keep evolving, and we're determined to help them succeed.
Customers around the world count on DME for mold bases and components, hot runner systems, mold controls, our Master Unit Die (MUD) mold inserts, die cast tooling technology—and all the supporting resources that come with our products.
DME complements the industry's broadest line of mold technology products and services with unsurpassed knowledge and expertise—the kind that can only come from helping thousands of customers of all sizes solve their toughest challenges on the shop floor. DME developed a logistics infrastructure that ensures speed and accuracy across the order-to-shipment continuum. DME built a support organization unrivaled for its ability to help customers when and where they need help. And, we continue to strengthen our presence in locations around the world.
Quick Strip is the new standard for plastic part ejection.
In 1942, Ted Quarnstrom founded Detroit Mold Engineering (today's DME Company) to provide mold bases in standard sizes, ready for machining of the cavity. It's an innovation that other suppliers have followed ever since.
Today's DME is aggressively developing new products that help our customers capture emerging markets, advance environmental initiatives and more. Working with our parent company, Milacron, we're also bringing customers new insights into their processing-related concerns.
In the global marketplace, customers' needs keep evolving. That's why being essential to our customers' success is the only support that matters. After all, we're more than a manufacturer. More than a distributor. We're an essential resource. Our customers' challenges keep changing, and we're helping them adapt every step of the way.
The Widest Selection. The Highest Quality.
Our products continue to set industry standards in tooling technology against which all others are compared. We're also developing global product platforms that provide reliability to our multinational customers, while allowing for regional customization. And through rigorous, continuous quality assurance and control measures, we ensure the superior quality and design of every product we provide.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Welcome to the online hub of the North Carolina Freedom Park project. We are a nonprofit dedicated to building a public sculpture park in downtown Raleigh to commemorate historic and on-going struggles for freedom in North Carolina. This park provides a beautiful space in the heart of the state capitol where people can reflect on the past through the sculptural elements, rest and recreate in the present, and be inspired for the future. We need YOU to help us make this dream a reality. Click on one of the links to learn more and get involved today!


text:
The Nye County Office of Emergency Management has compiled a list of general information that is intended to help you prepare for an emergency. You can find it on our pages on the Nye County website.
For further information, visit FEMA's website, or Ready.gov.
Show All Answers
4) Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough and sneeze into the upper sleeves if tissues are not available.
5) Wash hands or use hand sanitizer after coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose. 6) Keep work areas frequently touched and/or exposed to the public disinfected and clean.


text:
There are 32 African-American Republicans running for Congress in the first midterm elections of the Obama administration. That is more than the entire number of black Republicans who have served in Congress in U.S. history.
This group met last night at a closed-to-the-press reception hosted by RNC Chairman Michael Steele at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C., to kick off a two-day conference of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, a two-year old organization committed to three principles: "We are devoted Christians, proud black Americans and active Republicans," its chairman, Timothy F. Johnson, told me.
The fact that The Daily Beast got its hands on a list before the RNC official could compile one speaks to a larger problem.
Johnson, the vice chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, presented me with the full list of African-American Republican candidates running for Congress this year—a list that the RNC hasn't even compiled internally yet. Some of the more notable candidates include a syndicated conservative columnist, an NFL football player turned priest, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army, a former Fox News contributor, and a 31-year-old city councilman from Colorado.
The fact that The Daily Beast got its hands on a list before the RNC official could compile one speaks to a larger problem that Johnson and his colleagues, by their numbers, are trying to combat. There's history there—albeit more than a century old. All the 23 African Americans who served in Congress before 1900 were Republicans. But since the civil-rights era, there have been only three African-American Republicans elected to Congress—Massachusetts' Ed Brooke, Connecticut's Gary Franks, and Oklahoma's JC Watts—while there have been 93 Democrats. In 1956, Dwight Eisenhower won 39 percent of the African-American vote. By 1980, only 10 percent voted for Reagan; against Barack Obama, John McCain was only able to win 4 percent of the black vote.
"Right after the 2008 election, I was frustrated at how the Republican Party had been described as the party of whites," Johnson tells me. "Too many Americans perceive that black Americans all act alike, think alike and vote alike—and we don't."
The list of 32 candidates is diverse in terms of geography and background. And while some are certainly considered long shots, Johnson believes that black Republicans can help pick up at least five seats for the GOP this fall. Some of the more notable candidates include:
• Scripps Howard columnist Star Parker, author of the controversial Uncle Sam's Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It and a college-campus speaker for the Clare Boothe Luce Institute. She is running in California's 37th District, which includes parts of Compton and Long Beach.
• Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, the only statewide elected African-American official in the Lone Star State, brought the house down at CPAC with a speech focused on energy independence (the Texas Railroad Commission helps regulate the oil and gas industry). He is running for the U.S. Senate, facing a likely primary against incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchinson, who lost her challenge to Texas Governor Rick Perry this month.
• The Reverend Michel Faulkner is running as a Republican in Harlem to replace the ethically embattled Rep. Charles Rangel. An inspirational speaker who has served as a pastor in northern Manhattan for the past 20 years, Faulkner is also known for having played a season for the hometown favorite New York Jets. He is campaigning on an anti-corruption, pro-growth platform, saying" I believe that the American Dream has been stolen by greed and corruption, causing hard-working, peace-loving people to become apathetic about democracy and, when that happens, democracy does not work."
• Allen West is a highly decorated retired Army lieutenant colonel who resigned with full benefits after an investigation for misconduct in Iraq. His troops were accused of harshly interrogating an Iraqi police officer they believed had given information to insurgent forces that targeted U.S. soldiers. West was accused of firing a pistol near the man's head. When asked if he would act the same way during a subsequent inquest, West defended his actions saying, "If it's about the lives of my men and their safety, I'd go through hell with a gasoline can." He campaigned unsuccessfully for Florida's 22nd District in 2008 and is trying again in 2010.
• Angela McGlowan is a former Fox News contributor and Capitol Hill staffer who authored the book Bamboozled. An elegant and polished presence, she spoke at the National Tea Party convention in Nashville in remarks that were carried by C-SPAN. She is running in her native Mississippi in the 1st Congressional District.
• Ryan Frazier is a highly regarded 31-year old city councilman from Aurora, Colorado, who is seen as a rising star among Western conservatives. He considered running for the U.S. Senate before switching his sights to the 7th Congressional District.
• Princella Smith is a 26 year old who won a 2004 MTV public-speaking contest that got her a speaking slot at that year's Republican National Convention. She is running for an open seat in the 1st District of Arkansas, which is trending Republican.
These candidates—and many others on the list—have been embraced by local Republicans as powerful voices for conservative reform. The Frederick Douglass Foundation holds two core social conservative beliefs Johnson describes as "non-negotiable:" "the sanctity of life and the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman at one time." On other issues, Johnson eschews labels. "On some issues you might be say I'm very conservative; on another issue I might be called moderate; on another I might be called liberal," he says. "But I didn't change because of those labels, my values are consistent." (The 46-year-old Ph.D. and veteran also rejects the term African American: "I've never been to Africa—I'm an American who happens to be black.")
Whatever you call them, this group of 32 address the elephant in the room in American politics—that the Tea Party protests and Republican caucuses have been largely devoid of the diversity which characterizes modern America. Their candidacies offer a degree of absolution for this uncomfortable fact. Johnson does not deny that some opposition to President Obama is motivated by racism, but his organization and its affiliated candidates have their sights set on a larger goal: bringing some much-needed ideological diversity to the black caucus as well as racial diversity to the Republican Party. It is less a reaction to President Obama than a step toward addressing the racial polarization of the two parties, and a welcome return toward recovering the lost legacy of the Party of Lincoln.
John Avlon's new book Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America is available now by Beast Books both on the Web and in paperback. He is also the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics. Previously, he served as chief speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun.


text:
Reporting the discharge medication in the discharge letter: an explorative survey of family doctors
Suche in Medline nach
Veröffentlicht: | 30. September 2004 |
Background and Aim
In Germany, the discharge medication is usually reported to the general practitioner (GP) by an inital short report (SR) /notification (handed over to the patient) and later by a more detailed discharge letter (DL) of the hospital.
Material and Method
We asked N=536 GPs (from Frankfurt/Main and Luebeck) after the typical report format of their patients discharge medication by the local hospitals. The questionnaire asked for 26 items covering (1) the designation of the medication (brand name, generic name) in SR and DL, (2) further specifications e.g. possibilities of generic substitution or supervision of sensible medications, (3) reasons why GPs do not follow the hospitals recommendations and (4) possibilities for an improvement in the medication-related communication between GP and hospitals.
39% GPs responded sufficiently to the questionnaire. The majority of the GPs (82%) quoted that in the SR only brand names are given (often or ever) and neither the generic name or any further information on generic substitution is available (seldom or never). 65% of the responders quoted that even in the DL only brand names are given. Only 41% of the responders quoted that further treatment relevant specifications are given (often or ever). 95% responded that new medications or change of custom medication is seldom or never explained in the DL and GP were not explicitly informed about relevant medication changes. 58% of the responders quoted economic reasons for re-adjustment of the discharge medication e.g. by generic substitution. The majority of responders (83%) are favouring (useful or very useful) a pre-discharge information (e.g. via fax) about the medication and 54% a hot-line to some relevant person in the hospital when treatment problems emerge. 67% of the responders quoted in favour of regular meetings between GPs and hospital doctors regarding actual pharmacotherapy.
In conclusion, our survey pointed to marked deficiencies in reporting the discharge medication to GPs.
Conflict of interest: None


text:
Worcester Flashing Kit - Flat Roof
Item Code: 7716191090Every order from Plumit comes with the Plumit Promise so you can shop with peace of mind:
COMPETITIVE PRICES: Our team check our prices against competitors daily, ensuring we are always offering you one of the lowest prices around!
HIGHEST QUALITY: All our products are quality checked and tested. We only sell the highest quality products from the leading brands and manufacturers in the industry. All products are 100% brand new.
FAST & FLEXIBLE: We are one of the only companies in the industry to offer Next Day Delivery as Standard. Don't want it that quickly? No problem, simply choose a delivery date that suits you.
FAMILY BUSINESS: A family run business built on trust and loyalty; we are committed to providing you with the best service and attention to detail that the larger companies in the industry simply can't match!
RATED EXCELLENT: With over 20,000+ happy customers and rated Excellent on TrustPilot, it's not hard to see why we are one of the fastest growing companies in our industry!
Next Working Day Delivery is available on ALL stocked items, excluding selected areas. The cut off time for this service is currently 1pm.
All orders come with Chosen Date Delivery. Please refer to the countdown timer below the 'Add to Basket' button to view the earliest you can receive an item.
At checkout, you will be asked to choose a 'Desired Delivery Date' to receive your order. There may be rare occasions when we are unable to fulfil this request. In these unlikely circumstances you will be contacted immediately to rearrange delivery on an alternative date that suits you.
All orders can be returned within 14 days and will be subject to a 10% re-stocking charge. As long as they are retuned to us in new, unused condition (including all packaging). Please note, Items delivered direct from our suppliers such as HiB products may be subject to a higher re-stocking charge if they are returned.
See our delivery information and returns pages for more information.
Attribute Template | Boiler Flues & Accessories |
Brand | Worcester |
Ean | 4010009707059 |
Flue Accessory Type | Roof Flashing |
Mpn | 7716191090 |
Product Code | 9000800 |
Sw Featured | No |
Weight Kg | 0.9 |
Lead Time | 2 |


text:
BBM (formerly BlackBerry Messenger) is a data-based instant messaging network that is exclusive to BlackBerry devices. Messages are sent over BlackBerry's private network, ensuring security and privacy. End users have long enjoyed helpful features such as notifications which show if a message was successfully sent, if it was read, and if the other party is currently typing a response.
Since its inception, BBM has grown in functionality to include groups with shared calendars, lists and files. Application developers can also make their apps BBM-connected in a number of ways, including showcasing their app on a user's BlackBerry Messenger profile. Music played on a BlackBerry's native media player can also be optionally shown as a status message on BBM.
BBM has always been a BlackBerry only app, but as announced during BlackBerry Live 2013, BBM officially went cross-platform on Android and iOS on October 21, 2013.


text:
Send Results to This Email:
Street Address:
Quail Hollow Office Partnership has financed four office condominium parcels through Regions Bank for a total $1.7 million. The financing includes Quail Hollow Office Building III Condominiums, units 3 and 4, Quail Hollow Office Building II Condominiums, unit 101, and Quail Hollow Office Planned Development, phase II, lot 1.
The financing is dated Jan. 11 and matures April 11, 2015.
All the financed parcels are on the south side of North Quail Hollow Road between West Massey Road to the west and International Drive to the east. Three of the parcels, 6389 N. Quail Hollow Road, units 3 and 4, and 6373 N. Quail Hollow Road, unit 101, face Quail Hollow and were financed together for $1.3 million. The other parcel, 1648 W. Massey, faces Massey and was financed for $442,500.
Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports
– Kate Simone
Staff reports available to the media at the city-county Industrial Development Board's monthly meetings may be getting a lot lighter soon – or, alternatively, will include a lot of redacted data.
City and county officials want the state to grant them a broader cloak of secrecy to use when recruiting new business investment to the area.
The Memphis City Council is scheduled to vote at Tuesday's meeting on the local legislative package that will be pursued during the legislative session in Nashville.
Among the items is a request to allow local government to keep confidential certain details involved in business recruitment.
Language of a proposed new state act says "capital plans, marketing information, proprietary information and trade secrets, including sensitive information submitted to the board of directors, officers and/or staff of a local industrial development corporation or by an applicant seeking a payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) agreement or PILOT benefits shall be treated as confidential and shall not be open for inspection by members of the public."
The proposed language does not specifically address IDB members talking about those details during the public meetings at which they'd vote on the projects.
– Andy Meek
Medtronic Inc., whose Spinal and Biologics Business is in Memphis, has announced the release of its CD Horizon Solera Spinal System in the U.S. and a limited market release in Japan.
Medtronic's fifth-generation spinal fusion system has been cleared to treat patients with degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, fracture, dislocation, failed previous fusions, tumors and, uniquely, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
The system is designed to provide spinal stabilization and correction in patients suffering from painful and function-limiting middle and lower back disorders.
The CD Horizon Solera Spinal System is equipped with an implant tracking system technology to provide individualized device quality and user data for patients.
"The launch of the CD Horizon Solera Spinal System is a key step in renewing our global fixation business, bringing new innovation to the market and extending our industry-leading portfolio of spinal therapies," said Doug King, vice president and general manager of Medtronic's spine business.
– Aisling Maki
A third of the Memphis City Schools board will be on the panel Friday for the latest in the growing list of public forums on school consolidation.
The forum by the child advocacy group "Voices for Memphis' Children" at 10 a.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave., features MCS board members Tomeka Hart, Martavius Jones and Kenneth Whalum Jr. It will also include Memphis Education Association president Keith Williams and Julie Coffey, deputy administrator of the Shelby County Office of Early Childhood & Youth.
The public forum is to discuss how the charter surrender and resulting consolidation of the school systems would affect children.
"School consolidation has been strictly focused on politics and the financial implications," said Voice for Memphis' Children executive director Mark Yates. "But we really have not heard much about how consolidation will affect children."
– Bill Dries
Baptist Memorial Health Care has been named among the nation's top integrated health care networks and, for the fourth year in a row, Baptist Memphis has been ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for its clinical quality.
A recent survey published by Modern Healthcare and conducted by SDI, a health care data and consulting firm, ranked Baptist 11th in the nation and first in the Mid-South out of nearly 600 integrated health care networks.
Networks are evaluated in terms of integration, integrated technology, contractual capabilities, outpatient utilization, financial stability, services and access, hospital utilization and physicians.
This marks the 12th year Baptist has been included in the top 100.
"We are proud to be included in this list again this year," said Stephen C. Reynolds, president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care. "This ranking confirms that our colleagues and physicians are delivering high-quality care intelligently and efficiently."
And HealthGrades, an independent health care ratings organization, recently ranked Baptist Memphis in the top 5 percent of HealthGrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence.
The study, which analyzed patient outcomes at the nation's 5,000 nonfederal hospitals from 2007 until 2009, concluded that Baptist Memphis demonstrated patient outcomes far exceeding those of other hospitals.
The Pursuit of God Transformation Center, 3171 Signal St., will host a recruiting event Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in response to the recent reported increase in pregnancies at Frayser High School.
A local optical manufacturing company has expanded and is looking to fill 100 positions, ranging from entry-level to management-level positions.
Ricky Floyd, pastor of The Pursuit of God Transformation Center, declined to give the name of the company but said he believes this recruitment fair is, "an opportunity to magnify that we are doing some relevant things in the community."
Refreshments and prayer will be offered for those who come earlier than the 10 a.m. presentation, which will be given by a recruiter of the optical company.
Those 18 and older are welcome to apply.
"We believe that we not only have a religious obligation to the community but we believe that we have to economically empower the people – economics has an impact on family, family has an impact on the crisis we've seen with the teen pregnancy rate – we think that all of those things are intertwined together." Floyd said.
– Allison Buckley
Patrick J. Mahoney, owner of Remodeling Consultants Inc., has completed the construction/remodeling industry's most comprehensive training in the use of the U.S. government's FHA 203k Home Renovation Loan program.
With this designation, Mahoney is listed on the 203k Contractor Directory – a nationwide database of experienced 203k contractors dedicated to helping more Americans achieve the dream of home ownership, improve communities and contribute to the overall health of the economy.
"The FHA 203k Renovation Loan offers tremendous opportunities today for many consumers to tap into government insured rehab funds," Mahoney said. "Until recent years, there has been limited use of this program and little awareness of the opportunities it offers the current economy. By becoming a Certified 203k Contractor, Remodeling Consultants Inc. is going to change that."
Mahoney was recognized by the National Association of Home Builders in 2010 as the National Remodeler of the Month for May. He is a past president of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association and served as the chairman of its Remodelers Council in 2009 and 2010.
– Sarah Baker


text:
- Home
- Community
- Civic Center
- Food & Catering Policy
Food & Catering Policy
State law requires the City of Carbondale to enforce all guidelines set by the Department of Public Health regarding food safety and sanitation to protect the public. The policy guidelines are subject to amendment at the discretion of the City of Carbondale.
The Civic Center can provide events requiring beverage service. Any event with food service must use a caterer from the list of approved caterers.
All food caterers must provide proof of worker's compensation insurance and a certificate of liability insurance naming the City of Carbondale, Illinois, as an additional insured, stating the date, time, and specific event for which the City has been added as an additional insured. The certification must be received no later than fourteen days before the event.
Only food that is prepared, pre-packaged, and food that may be stored at room temperature, may be left unattended. Perishable food may not be left unattended at any time. The caterer must remain on the premises during the service of perishable food.
Catering Kitchen
The catering kitchen is available for rental. For charges regarding the rental of the catering kitchen, contact the Civic Center Manager. A cleaning deposit is required for the rental of the catering kitchen. The deposit will be returned to the lessee provided the kitchen and equipment is neat and clean following the scheduled event. The kitchen and equipment used should be wiped down and free of debris. The City will be responsible for cleaning the floor and removing the trash. The City will dispose of anything left behind following the scheduled event unless prior arrangements for storage have been made with the Civic Center Manager.
Food Locations
All food must stay in the rented area of the Civic Center. Food is not allowed in the hallways or any other facility areas.


text: Ubuy paved its way in the e-commerce world in the year 2012 as a cross-border shopping platform. This product-based company provides services to customers in around 180+ countries. Ubuy delivers elite quality products from global brands to the doorstep of potential customers, across the globe. We do this by supplying millions of products from our warehouses which are located in the USA, UK, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Kuwait and Korea. Some of the features include a flexible website and app, convenient purchase methods, faster checkout options, the best customer service. All these enhance the shopping experience. The shipping infrastructure is refined as we have tie-ups with many courier services. Keep browsing our portal to get your favourite item(s) in your wardrobe


text:
Richard Elmore and Elizabeth City of Harvard Graduate School of Education wrote a powerful piece in Education Week "Using Technology to Move Beyond Schools" (May, 16, 2011).
Since it's behind a subscription paywall, I thought I'd quote it broadly to help spread its powerful message. For my thoughts on the subject please see my post "What Happens in Schools When Life Has become an Open-book Test?"
"What proportion of the activity called 'learning' will be located in the institution called 'school'?" The availability of relatively cheap technologies offering direct access to knowledge of all types creates opportunities for students to experience a dramatic increase in the choice of what they learn, with whom they choose to learn, and how they choose to learn. How will the institution called "school" survive in this environment, in what form will it survive, and what would schools look like if they chose not just to "survive" but to find a productive place in this new environment?
With rare exceptions, schools currently treat the digital revolution as if it never happened. Computers, more often than not, still sit in dedicated rooms, accessible only with adult supervision.
... When students step out the door of the institution called school today, they step into a learning environment ... in which one is free to follow a line of inquiry wherever it takes one, without the direction and control of someone called a teacher... If you were a healthy, self-actualizing young person, in which of these environments would you choose to spend most of your time?
... The more accessible learning becomes through unmediated relationships and broad-based social networks, the less clear it is why schools, and the people who work in them, should have such a large claim on the lives of children and young adults...
Consider three possible school scenarios for the next generation or so.
The first might be called "fighting for survival," or "turtle gets a laptop." Schools continue to be organized and run in much the same way as they are today. ...Teachers and schools continue to control access to content and learning. In this instance, schools will increasingly become custodial institutions, isolated from the lives of their students and the learning environment beyond their walls.
The second scenario might be called "controlled engagement," or "frog gets a GPS device." In this case, schools make some nonincremental leaps in the way they are organized and run. Schools set the learning destinations and map out the best pathways to those destinations. ... Teachers are less gatekeepers of knowledge, and more knowledge brokers. ... Schools become less places where students go to learn from adults, and more places where adults and students get together to enter a broader learning environment.
The third scenario might be called "open access to learning," or "caterpillar learns to fly." Here schools cease to play the determining role in what constitutes knowledge and learning. ...Schools are on their own, competing with other types of service providers and learning modalities for the interest and loyalty of students and their parents. A family might combine services from two or three different organizations into a learning plan ...Schools, as we presently know them, would gradually cease to exist and be replaced by social networks organized around the learning goals of students and their families.
I imagine that many educators will dismiss this commentary as being too far-fetched. Perhaps schools need be reminded of the growing irrelevance of information gatekeepers (record companies, book publishers, newspapers) in the lives of their students.
Image credit flickr


text:
Part I Introduction, Ch.2 Law of Nations or Perpetual Peace? Two Early International Theories on the Use of Force »
Daniele Archibugi, Mariano Croce, Andrea Salvatore
From: The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law
Edited By: Marc Weller
This chapter considers the law of nations (LN) and the perpetual peace projects (PPP), two intellectual traditions giving rise to an international theory aimed at regulating or abolishing the use of armed force. It examines the role of the LN and the PPP in the emergence of modern international law and of international organizations and peace movements, and how they influenced and were influenced by the rise of the modern European states. It charts the history of both traditions and the emergence of the state as the main player in internal and international politics before concluding with a discussion on the use of armed force concerning four main cases which were the subjects of considerable debate within both the LN and the PPP: war among states, the right to resist or to fight a revolution against an oppressive regime, humanitarian intervention, and the use of force against stateless indigenous populations.


text:
Always, son of Laertes, have I observed you on the prowl to snatch some means of attack against your enemies. So now at the tent of Ajax by the ships where he has his post at the camp's outer edge, I watch you
for a long time as you hunt and scan his newly pressed tracks, in order to see whether he is inside or away. Your course leads you well to your goal, like that of a keen-scenting Laconian hound. For the man has just now gone in,
with sweat dripping from his head and from his hands that have killed with the sword. There is no further need for you to peer inside these doors. Rather tell me what your goal is that you have shown such eagerness for, so that you may learn from her who holds the knowledge.
Voice of Athena, dearest to me of the gods,
how clearly, though you are unseen, do I hear your call and snatch its meaning in my mind, just as I would the bronze tongue of the Tyrrhenian trumpet! And now you have discerned correctly that I am circling my path on the track of a man who hates me, Ajax the shield-bearer.
It is he and no other that I have been tracking so long. For tonight he has done us a deed beyond comprehension—if he is indeed the doer. We know nothing for certain, but drift in doubt. And so I of my of accord took up the burden of this search.
For we recently found all the cattle, our plunder, dead—yes, slaughtered by human hand—and with them the guardians of the flocks.
Now, all men lay responsibility for this crime to him. And further, a scout who had seen him
bounding alone over the plain with a newly-wet sword reported to me and declared what he saw. Then immediately I rush upon his track, and sometimes I follow his signs, but sometimes I am bewildered, and cannot read whose they are. Your arrival is timely, for truly in all matters, both those of the past
and those of the future, it is your hand that steers me.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.


text:
A Saudi Arabian government app that allows men in the country to monitor and control their female relatives' travel at the click of a button should be removed from Google and Apple's online stores, a U.S. politician and activists said on Wednesday.
Human rights campaigners argued the tech giants are enabling abuses against women and girls in the ultra-conservative kingdom by hosting the app.
The free Absher app, created by the Saudi interior ministry, allows men to update or withdraw permissions for their wives and female relatives to travel internationally and get SMS updates if their passports are used, said human rights researchers.
The app is available in the Saudi version of the Google and Apple online stores.
"Part of the app's design is to discriminate against women," said Rothna Begum, an expert in women's rights in the Middle East at Human Rights Watch.
"The complete control that a male guardian has is now facilitated with the use of modern technology and makes the lives of men ultimately easier and restricts women's lives that much more."
Begum said a few women had turned the app to their advantage by gaining access to their guardian's phone and changing the settings to grant themselves freedom, but such cases were rare.
Neither Apple nor Google were immediately available for comment.
Apple CEO Tim Cook told U.S. public radio NPR yesterday that he had not heard of Absher but pledged to "take a look at it".
Saudi women must have permission from a male relative to work, marry, and travel under the country's strict guardianship system, which human rights groups have criticised as abusive.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden has publicly called on both Apple and Google to remove it from their stores, arguing it promotes "abusive practices against women" in a Twitter post.
However, Suad Abu-Dayyeh, a spokesman on the Middle East for women's rights group Equality Now, raised doubts over whether the companies would take action.
"Power and money talks, unfortunately, without giving any attention to the violations of human rights," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"I really hope they take a concrete stand towards removing these apps but I am not really hopeful."
Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most gender-segregated nations, is ranked 138 of 144 states in the 2017 Global Gender Gap, a World Economic Forum study on how women fare in economic and political participation, health and education.
Its guardianship system came under fresh scrutiny after Saudi teenager Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun fled from her family and was granted asylum in Canada in January.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman indicated last year he favoured ending the guardianship system but stopped short of backing its annulment.
But any moves toward gender equality have been accompanied by a crackdown on dissent, including the arrest and alleged torture of women's rights activists as well as Muslim clerics.
Reporting by Sonia Elks @soniaelks; Editing by Jason Fields.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


text:
Bouncing Betty Bounce Houses
Bouncing Betty Bounce Houses is the most popular provider of party and bounce house rentals in Onslow County. We work with the community to allow people with different budgets, themes and time frames to rent our inflatables. Kids and adults throughout the neighborhood will be entertained through our wide selection of water slides, bounce houses, combos, and even our foam parties!
Jacksonville is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,723, which makes Jacksonville the 14th-largest city in North Carolina. Jacksonville is the county seat and most populous community of Onslow County, which is coterminous with the Jacksonville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Demographically, Jacksonville is the youngest city in the United States, with an average age of 22.8 years old, which can be attributed to the large military presence. The low age may also be in part due to the population drastically going up over the past 80 years, from 783 in the 1930 census to 72,876 in the 2021 Census estimate.It is the home of the United States Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station.
A. Sydes Construction Inc, Airlie Brook, Aldersgate, Amanda's Ridge, Anchor Real Estate & Property Management of Eastern North Carolina, Aragona Village, Ashley Park Apartments, Atlantic Construction, Inc., Bell Fork Homes, Bradley Creek, Carleton Place, Carolina Place, Carolina Plantation, Country Club Park, Craven Terrace


text:
The Black Arrow is a futuristic tale of hope and resistance. Set in the year 2030, it opens in the streets of Gotham. The reader is introduced to a world where homeland security has blossomed and bestowed upon us its wonderful "protection" against terrorism—not only in our airports, but right off busy sidewalks at impromptu "portals." Passers-by are treated to an inspection for weapons, illegal software, drugs, and proper ID. Of course, if they don't find any problems, inspectors often treat themselves to a good grope or other sexual rewards from the defenseless citizens in this new "police state." Ah, but on the rooftops and in the shadows lurks the Black Arrow—a hero along the lines of Batman, or Superman. While the book may open with an almost comic book feel, we soon learn that it is a serious, believable novel that stirs our souls much like the film, Spartacus.
With The Black Arrow, has given us a real treasure. For example, when was the last time that "Passionate," "Sexy," "Stylish," "Thought-provoking," "Funny," "Exhilarating!" "Action-packed!" and "Tear-jerker" were all used to describe the same book—let alone a book about freedom???
The characters are so real, likable, and unique that you believe that you know them. The Black Arrow starts out with a righteous assassination by an archer. The ancient method of attack is chosen to effectively render the vast "SonicNet gunfire detection grid" about as useful as the ancient Maginot Line.
Later, we find that the resistance is equally proficient with blades, martial arts, or firearms. I found it extremely refreshing to read a novel with technically accurate gun battles. Without going overboard or getting too technical, the author provides the reader with a real sense of what it feels like, sounds like, and looks like to engage an armed enemy while equipped with bows and guns. After some of the shooting scenes, you'll actually find yourself with ringing ears yawning, trying to get your ears to pop, as though a low-flying jet had just broken Mach One overhead.
The masterful word pictures put you on the front line. You feel the cold rain, are aroused by the sex, and smell the dark, dank, vast Gotham underground. This is a thriller with soul. You will go from laughing out loud, to shaking with sheer hatred, and then down to a lump in your throat—from the tear-jerking romance.
If you're part of the "gun culture," you'll feel absolutely privileged to be surrounded by serious, well-trained, freedom fighters that not only practice good muzzle control, but also let you in on their thoughts before and after they pull the trigger. You find yourself understanding their justification for their conflict and their willingness to "hold the line"—despite their terrible odds of survival.
Some of the scenes are so heinous that you question the need to be so graphic; after all, no government could be that cruel. And then you recall that you've seen these stories before…you remember that these are real events. Vin has craftily taken the most horrific injustices to our liberties and magically made them appear as current news items in 2030. The Black Arrow is a must-read for romantics, libertarians, resistance fighters, and anyone who is passionate about life. It also provides the ultimate solution for the elimination of "boot-on-your-neck" politics.
The dialogue is witty and sharp. The history lessons and quotes from the founding fathers are timeless and pertinent.
Atlas Shrugged, The Count of Monte Cristo, Animal Farm, 1984, and Unintended Consequences. Get the limited edition, leather-bound printing while it lasts and pass it on to your grandchildren. It is guaranteed to stir even the faintest glowing cinder of patriotism into a raging fire of resistance. I can't wait to see what will come up with next—and I hope it is soon.
has given us a stunning first novel that is sure to be a timeless classic among such greats asAbout the author: Send in the Waco Killers and The Ballad of Carl Drega. Both of his non-fiction works were awarded Freedom Book of the Year by Free-Market.net and The Black Arrow is certain to win it this year. The targets of books and columns include taxation, gun control, and the War to Spread Pain (more generally dubbed the "War On Some Drugs.")
, a collector of surplus military firearms, spent his youth in New England and worked his way through school as a disc jockey, short-order cook, motel night clerk, and member of the relentlessly unsuccessful rock & roll band, The Four Shadowings of Doom. has had an extensive, award-winning career in journalism and is currently a columnist and editorial writer at Nevada's largest newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He is also the author of two non-fiction booksBut Homeland Security and our new national pastime, the airport grope-and-grab, also do not escape his literary scalpel.
All trademarks and copyrights property of their owners. |


text:
Next Episode of Ik mis je is
"Ik mis je" is a TV program in which peopple look back on life and death of deceased loved ones.
Looks like something went completely wrong!
But don't worry - it can happen to the best of us,
- and it just happened to you.
Please try again later or contact us.


text:
RENO, Nev. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled against Nevada in a battle with the U.S. government over its secret shipment of weapons-grade plutonium to a site near Las Vegas but the state's attorney general says the fight isn't over yet.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the state's appeal after a judge refused to block any future shipments to Nevada. The court in San Francisco said the matter is moot because the Energy Department already sent the radioactive material and has promised that no more will be hauled there.
"The remedy Nevada sought — stopping the government from shipping plutonium from South Carolina to Nevada under the proposed action — is no longer available," the court wrote.
Nevada also wanted the court to order the government to remove the plutonium it shipped last year but didn't reveal had arrived there until January.
The 9th Circuit said that issue also is moot because the state failed to include that request in its original motion seeking to block future shipments.
"Because the government completed the shipment, any harm caused by the shipment cannot be 'undone' by granting the motion Nevada actually filed," the ruling said.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said late Tuesday he'll continue to press the state's case in court but didn't provide any immediate details of its next legal move.
"The Department of Energy's deceitful behavior in handling these shipments demonstrates my office's need to continue aggressively litigating to hold the Department of Energy to its promises," Ford said in a statement.
"The health and safety of all Nevadans is of paramount importance to my office, and our dedicated team will continue to pursue all options for ensuring that no further unlawful plutonium shipments reach this state," he said.
Among other options, Nevada could now request a hearing before the full 9th Circuit or seek a new court order to remove the plutonium that's already been shipped.
The Energy Department didn't respond to repeated requests for comment on Tuesday.
Nevada sued in federal court in Reno last November, accusing the agency of illegally deciding it could transport the material without completing a full environmental review of potential health and safety dangers.
Although Nevada wasn't aware at the time, the government had already shipped a half metric ton of plutonium from South Carolina to the Nevada National Security Site, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Las Vegas. That site is separate from but close to the Yucca Mountain site in the Mojave Desert where the Trump administration wants to build a high-level radioactive waste repository.
Nevada says the Trump administration abused "top secret" classifications to meet a court order to remove a ton of weapons-grade plutonium from the Savannah River site in South Carolina by Jan. 1, 2020.
While Nevada's appeal was pending, Energy Secretary Rick Perry sent a letter to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, pledging to expedite removal of the plutonium already sent to Nevada — beginning in 2021 — and promising no more will be sent there.
He's visited the site twice in recent months and provided a classified briefing to Gov. Steve Sisolak to try to allay the state's concerns.
The radioactive material isn't intended to be unpacked in Nevada, only temporarily stored before it is moved again, most likely to New Mexico or Texas for reprocessing for use in building nuclear weapons.
The Energy Department has said it expects to move the plutonium from Nevada to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico "or another facility" by the "2026-2027 timeframe."
Nevada's lawyers argued that Energy Department couldn't be trusted because of past misrepresentations about the covert shipment. The state said U.S. officials selectively declassified information as it suited their needs.
The Energy Department insists the plutonium was properly classified for security.
It disclosed the material was in Nevada on Jan. 30, the same day Judge Miranda Du in Reno denied a state request to temporarily halt all shipments. She also ruled that the matter was moot.
Nevada argued in its appeal to the 9th Circuit that the case wasn't moot partly because the government had "voluntarily" ceased the shipments and could resume them at any time.
But the court ruled that "the alleged injury was no longer redressable."


text:
Livestock Producers Advised to Control Poison Hemlock in the Fall
US - A Purdue Extension weed specialist advises crop and livestock producers with poison hemlock in their pastures, crops or ditches to consider treating the weed in the fall.Poison hemlock is a biennial weed that is toxic to both livestock and humans, if enough is consumed. It can be identified by its finely divided, toothed leaves and white flowers. Its stems are hairless, have purple spots or blotches and can grow to 2-7 feet in height.
"The weed seems to be spreading, becoming a more common occurrence in pastures, agronomic crops, fencerows and roadsides," Bill Johnson said.
"It can be difficult to control in the spring. It's easier to control in the fall because it's more sensitive to herbicides."
The plant growth and appearance is more visible in the spring, when the plants "bolt" or elongate rapidly and the white flowers bloom, so that's when most people become concerned with it. But Dr Johnson said there is active rosette formation of the weed in the fall.
"Growers should really think about fall-applied herbicide treatments whether they're treating their pastures or fields going to corn or soybeans next year," he said.
"They should be treating them in the fall to control poison hemlock."
For control in grass pastures, he recommended using one of a couple of herbicides that contain triclopyr as an active ingredient.
The good news for livestock producers is that while poison hemlock is considered to be most toxic in the fall, livestock usually won't eat the plant if there are other options in the pasture.
"Cows won't usually eat poison hemlock because this weed doesn't taste as good as the more desirable pasture species," Dr Johnson said. "But if the pasture is limited in desirable forages, then there may be a situation where the cows will get hungry enough to eat the plant."
In corn or soybeans where poison hemlock is a nuisance, growers can try an aggressive tillage program to disrupt it. If a herbicide is needed for control in agronomic crops, Dr Johnson recommended applying products containing dicamba.
Farmers should be aware that some herbicides can damage legumes or other desired vegetation, so they need to double-check labels before applying them.


text:
In Georgia, Russia saw its Army's shortcomings
| Moscow
The global perception of the Russia-Georgia war this summer is that an armored juggernaut of old Soviet military proportions rolled over its puny rival after a five-day conflict.
But the view from Moscow is different. Many Russian military experts are still shaking their heads in dismay over a catalog of delays and mistakes that plagued the Russian Army's thrust into South Ossetia.
"The war made it clear that we have all kinds of shortcomings in equipment, training, battlefield coordination, and intelligence," says Alexei Arbatov, a military expert with the Carnegie Center in Moscow.
The Russian Army's questionable performance has prompted urgent debate here over Russia's need for a modern, mobile, professional army capable of rapidly responding to challenges that might erupt along Russia's long borders with its unstable post-Soviet neighbors. In fact, the August conflict is giving fresh impetus for a 30 percent jump in defense spending, and a military modernization plan.
It comes on top of years of accumulated oil revenues, and an increasingly patriotic public mood.
"Russia has changed a lot lately, and the spirit in the country is different from what it used to be," says Lt. Gen. (Ret) Gennady Yevstasyev, a senior adviser to the PIR Center, an independent security think tank in Moscow. "The public will now support major military reform, even if it entails financial hardship. Many things that were stalemated for years will now move forward."
Already, Russian defense budgets are set to leap next year to a post-Soviet record of over $50 billion. Similar jumps are projected for coming years as well.
The fresh increases, announced by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in late September, are in addition to a special $200-billion procurement program aimed at restoring the country's degraded strategic forces.
Mr. Arbatov argues that Russia's military problems run deeper than just two decades of neglect. "There is no political leadership over military organization. Nor is there any democratic control. The system needs to be changed," he says.
Russian forces entering South Ossetia lacked even basic intelligence regarding Georgian artillery positions and troop deployments, which led several of their leading units into costly ambushes. In one surprise attack, the 58th Army's senior commander, Gen. Anatoly Khrulyev, was badly wounded and had to be evacuated.
In a desperate effort to get information, the Russians sent an electronic reconnaissance version of the Tupolev Tu-22M Backfire bomber over the battlefield and it got shot down. In all, Russia lost four planes, including three Sukhoi Su-25 attack fighters to unexpectedly effective Georgian air defenses. Some Russian commanders reported using cellphones to communicate with their units when their own radios failed.
Additionally, the tanks deployed by the Russian Army did not have night sights for their guns, and the reactive armor designed to protect them from Georgian antitank weapons proved unreliable.
President Dmitry Medvedev spoke about the Georgia war as a wake-up call for the Kremlin. "A war can flare up suddenly and can be absolutely real," he said to military leaders late last month. "Local smouldering conflicts ... can turn into a real conflagration."
Russia's 2003 military doctrine calls for its armed forces to be able to fight a major war in the West or the Far East, and handle two simultaneous local conflicts or insurgencies. Moscow has relied on its fraying Soviet-era missile forces to deter big enemies, while its conventional army has struggled for over a decade in ultimately successful attempts to quell the separatist rebellion in Chechnya, its only active conflict until Georgia.
"Modernization of the armed forces must go ahead, regardless of any crisis," Medvedev said last week, in apparent reference to global financial turmoil. "We have a sustainable economy. We have enough material and intellectual resources not to depend on anyone."
Moscow does not feel any immediate threat from the West, say military analysts, despite increased tensions over US missile defense deployments in Eastern Europe and the projected expansion of NATO into the former Soviet Union.
"We regard NATO as a dangerous organization, but right now it's not so strong," says Andrei Klimov, deputy chair of the State Duma's international affairs committee. "The problem is that NATO will become more dangerous if it includes countries like Georgia and Ukraine. In the cold war, when only the US and Western countries were in NATO, it was stable and predictable. We have enough resources to defend ourselves at present, but in the future we will need to think about this."
The military now hopes to get a new generation of conventional weapons, including attack helicopters, strike fighters, and multipurpose troop carriers similar to the US Army's Bradley fighting vehicles. "Russia doesn't even have some of the equipment that Georgia deployed, such as unmanned reconnaissance drones," says Vladimir Yevseyev, an analyst at the independent Center for International Security in Moscow.
Russia's controversial system of military conscription could also prove a casualty of the war. Professional soldiers bore the brunt of the fighting while ill-trained recruits, who serve only one year, were mostly kept off the battlefield. "The recruit soldier is fading away. We need professional soldiers, with serious training," says General Yevstasyev.
Under a $200-billion long-term program initiated last year, Russia will renew its land-based arsenal of intercontinental missiles, build a fleet of nuclear submarines designed to fire advanced Bulava-3 underwater-launched missiles, add to its force of strategic bombers, and build many new warships, including up to six aircraft carriers. President Medvedev has pledged to finalize plans for a full makeover of the strategic forces by December.
Whether Russia's depleted defense industries have maintained the capacity to fill the military's ambitious shopping list without much larger infusions of capital and new managerial expertise, remains a serious question.
"The wish is there on the part of our generals, but where will they get the gadgets?" says Vitaly Shlykov, a former deputy defense minister who now works as a civilian adviser to the Defense Ministry. "The military-industrial complex has been declining for the past 20 years, and nowadays all our best managers are working in oil and gas. The climate may be favorable for pumping in money nowadays, but without fundamental reform it will all remain just talk."


text:
Acknowledging Dr. Tim Ryan's leadership and commitment to the food and restaurant industry, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) is honoring the president of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) with its 2013 Innovation Award. Dr. Ryan will receive the award at the UCLA Extension Restaurant Industry Conference on the university's campus on Wednesday, April 3.
UCLA Honors CIA President with Innovation Award
"Recognition by such an outstanding institution as UCLA testifies to the excellence of our college's educational programs and industry conferences," Dr. Ryan says. "We are proud of our continuing innovations, including new majors and concentrations that will further prepare CIA students to shape the future of cooking and the foodservice industry."
The award recognizes highly influential leaders who have greatly contributed to the evolving landscape of the food, beverage, and restaurant industry. Previous award winners have included Jose Andres, Wolfgang Puck, and the Hillstone Restaurant Group.
"Dr. Ryan has earned this honor through his many commitments to the industry and its future, and UCLA Extension is thrilled to name him as the recipient of the 2013 Innovation Award," says Van Anderson, program director at UCLA Extension.
In selecting Dr. Ryan as this year's award winner, UCLA Extension hailed his:
-Commitment to the chef as a professional on par with advanced degree professionals the world over
-Commitment to creating an inclusive industry, made up of thought leaders and restaurateurs of all stripes
-Commitment to culinary technique coupled with a focus on the consumer and guest, regardless of outlet
-Leadership of a not-for-profit college that has evolved from one simply teaching students how to cook to one that offers them the skills to be successful in an ever more complex industry
-Commitment to expanding the consciousness of an industry to include business development, health, wellness, and food research and development
UCLA Extension is the continuing education division of the university. It is the largest professional continuing education institution offering over 6,500 courses and corporate education with annual enrollments of 90,000. Its annual Restaurant Industry Conference, now in its 17th year, brings together more than 350 executives from restaurant operating companies, investment firms, and professional advisors.
Subscribe to A.M. Jolt
Get daily updates on quick-serve industry news, tips, and events.
"*" indicates required fields


text:
Story #19
July 8, 1969 – Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland
The IIHF's summer Congress of 1969 provided arguably the most substantial and dramatic rule changes in the history of international hockey. Aligning the game with the NHL, the IIHF voted to allow body-checking in all areas of the ice. Previously, hitting was allowed only in the defensive zone. A defenseman, inside his blueline, could hit an attacker. But the forward was not allowed to bodycheck a defenseman in his defensive zone. The neutral zone was a "demilitarized zone" – no hitting allowed.The rule was designed to ensure the safety of defencemen skating back into their own zone to chase down loose pucks. Over time, however, it became clear that hockey was a game designed for equal rules all over the ice, and by allowing hitting everywhere the IIHF ensured a more fairly played game.The historic rule change was approved on July 8 in the Swiss village of Crans-sur-Sierre. It was the Swedish delegation that pushed hard for the reform and they had done so in three previous congresses. But on each occasion (1960, 1963 and 1966) they lost the vote. IIHF president Bunny Ahearne was always against the implementation as he feared that ice hockey would become "a sport for goons".The bodychecking rule, which had remained in place for nearly half a century of international hockey, was suddenly gone.
Today, it seems very strange that hitting was forbidden in certain parts of the ice, and indeed the game changed significantly when this rule was instituted. For starters, Canada and USA could play a more aggressive game. After all, a vital part of hitting is intimidation and forcing errors and turnovers, and this is more easily done in the offensive end than between the bluelines.For the North American teams, the rule change also meant there was one less adjustment to make. To this day players will take about the "European ice" producing a different kind of game, and such was also the case with hitting. If a player is allowed to hit everywhere and then plays in a World Championship and is all of a sudden penalized for what was normally an acceptable hit that is an adjustment that alters his effectiveness and his ability to play at an optimal level.For Europeans, the rule also meant making a permanent adjustment. They would have to be prepared for physical contact all over the ice. This meant not only taking hits but delivering hits as well, learning when and how to hit in the offensive end, learning how it can be used as a strategy and an effective style.Without this rule in place, there is little doubt that Swedes Borje Salming and Inge Hammarstrom could have even attempted to play in the NHL, when they became European pioneers in 1973. This rule changed paved the way for the historic interaction between the IIHF world and the NHL; the 1972 Summit Series between the Soviet Union and Team Canada. The first IIHF World Championship that was played under the new rule was 1970 in Stockholm. Ironically, the team that would have benefited the most from the rule change was not there. Canada withdrew from international hockey before the event and did not play again until 1977.
As part of the IIHF's 100th anniversary celebrations, www.IIHF.com is featuring the 100 top international hockey stories from the past century (1908-2008). Starting now and continuing through the 2008 IIHF World Championships in Canada, we will bring you approximately three stories a week counting down from Number 100 to Number 11.
The Final Top 10 Countdown will be one of the highlights of the IIHF's Centennial Gala Evening in Quebec City on May 17, the day prior to the Gold Medal Game of the 2008 World Championship.
These are the criteria for inclusion on this list: First, the story has to have had a considerable influence on international hockey. Second, it has to have had either a major immediate impact or a long-lasting significance on the game. Third, although it doesn't necessarily have to be about top players, the story does have to pertain to the highest level of play, notably Olympics, World Championships, and the like. The story can be about a single moment — a goal, a great save, a referee's call — or about an historic event of longer duration — a game, series, tournament, or rule change.
Click here for the 100 Top Stories


text:
Terrine of Greens, Bacon and Polenta
"In the garden of Eden, there were no weeds. The dent-de-lion, or dandelion, lay peaceably with lamb's quarters and lettuce, sourgrass with mustard and escarole. All leaves were young, tender, tame and edible in the green and salad days of our first gardeners, who had no need of cooks." So says Betty Fussell, in her book Food in Good Season, from which this recipe comes. I, like Betty it seems, have never held a particular prejudice against weeds. What child, after all, does not adore a dandelion as much as any wild (or cultivated, for that matter) flower? And perhaps the dandelion is even more revered during childhood because of the almost translucent puff of cotton-candy it becomes in the fall.
Today, however, we're not in the original garden. And although summer greens don't necessarily have to be cooked, it doesn't hurt. And if you include them in a terrine of polenta, cheese and bacon, then it really doesn't hurt. I thought this was hands down one of the most delicious ways I've ever had greens. And since you can use any type, or mixture, that you come across, you can buy with abandon at the farmers market, knowing your greens have a purpose. You might try dandelion, mustard, chard, curly endive, escarole or spinach.
In the original recipe, Fussell suggests saving the liquid leached from the greens when they're wilted to include in a later soup. But there's no reason for that, since the liquid is fragrant with garlic and the essence of greens. I stirred it back into the polenta, so neither nutrients nor flavor would be lost through cooking. The polenta soaked it up just a greedily as I thought it might. And speaking of polenta, Fussell's brilliant double boiler method does away with constant stirring. It doesn't produce the kind of dreamy, creamy polenta you might get with the more labor intense method. But it's the perfect texture for baking, and much more amenable to making on a hot summer day.
Terrine of Summer Greens, Bacon and Polenta
Process slightly adopted from Betty Fussell's Food in Good Season
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups polenta (the slow-cooking kind, such as Bob's Red Mill)
5 cups water
4 sliced bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic (or 3), crushed or passed through a press
1 pound mixed greens, I used a combination of mustard and green chard
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces high quality roman cheese, such as Romano Locatelli
8 ounces Fontina cheese
Mix the salt into the polenta in the top of a double boiler. Bring the water to a boil in the bottom of the double boiler, then stir 2 cups of the water slowly into the cornmeal until well combined. Add the remaining water and stir well, leaving about 2 inches of water in the bottom of the double boiler. Place the top of the double boiler over the bottom and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be sure that the bottom of the double boiler doesn't dry out.
Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the same pan, then add the crushed garlic and the greens. Toss to coat, then cover the greens and steam them until they're wilted. This should take 5 - 10 minutes. Drain the liquid into the polenta and stir well. Transfer the greens to a cutting board and chop well.
Grate the two types of cheese separately. When the polenta is done, or nearly so, stir the Romano into it. Grease a loaf pan (any standard size is fine) and smooth a layer of polenta on the bottom. Top the polenta with a layer of greens, then bacon, then a sprinkling of Fontina cheese. Top again with polenta, then another layer of the rest of the ingredients, and finally finish with one more layer of polenta. Sprinkle a bit more Fontina over the top, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
Place the loaf pan an oven preheated to 450 F, and bake for 15 minutes. The polenta should be a bit browned and crusty on top, and the cheese melted. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before unmolding. Slice, and serve. Enjoy your weeds!


text:
MyPlate Dietary Plan
Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits is one recommendation for maintaining heart health. In fact, when it comes to fruits and vegetables – MORE matters for most Americans. USDA's MyPlate dietary plan graphic is a simple tool to help you make better food choices and a visual reminder to select foods from all five (5) food groups.
Fruits & Veggies
MyPlate conveys that
half your plate should consist of vegetables and fruits
with the vegetable portion larger than the fruit portion. You should also vary the selection and colors of vegetables and fruits as different ones contain different nutrients. Keep in mind that
fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice
are all good options, but try for no more than one (1) cup of juice a day.
See Heart-Healthy Dessert Ideas
Grains & Protein
The other half of your plate should include grains and protein with the grain portion larger than the protein portion.
Half the grains should be whole grains
which include the bran, germ and endosperm of the whole grain kernel. The
protein choices should be lean animal sources
such as
seafood, poultry and lean red meat.
Plant-based protein sources
such as dried beans and peas are good choices as well.
Nuts and seeds
are also good protein sources but are higher in fat so keep portions small.
Remember the dairy! Drink skim or low-fat (1%) milk and select fat-free yogurt and reduced-fat cheeses. Skim milk can also be used as an ingredient in foods such as pudding or cream soups.
Valentine's Day provides the opportunity to show concern for your loved one's health by serving a luscious dessert or treat made from nutrient-packed fruits or vegetables instead of high-sugar, high-fat and nutrient-poor options. Enjoy these heart-healthy desserts throughout American Heart Month … or anytime!
Gingered Fruit with Walnuts
This dessert includes diced Red Delicious apples and pears in a lightly sweetened vanilla yogurt with a touch of citrus from lime, a slight spicy pungency from the ginger, and a light sprinkling of walnuts. It is delicious and easy to make! Here's the recipe …
- 2 cups diced red delicious apples
- 2 cups diced pears
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (divided)
- 1 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Combine apples, pears and 1 tablespoon lime juice in medium bowl and toss to coat fruit with juice. Combine 1 tablespoon lime juice, yogurt, honey and ginger in a small bowl and stir to mix. Add yogurt mixture to fruit and toss. Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with walnuts just before serving.
Cinnamon-Glazed Apples
These apples are glazed with an apple juice and cinnamon reduction and are absolutely fabulous! See Recipe
Butternut Squash Pudding Dessert
This warm pudding dessert is made from puréed butternut squash and a delightful blend of spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Just sprinkle with chopped pecans. What a treat this is to warm the heart of that special someone! See Recipe


text:
Vin Suprynowicz is assistant editorial page editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. |
by Vin Suprynowicz
APRIL 4, 2001 For all practical purposes, the federal Department of Education operates no schools, and educates no children. Public schooling in this country got along just fine some would say it got along much better for more than a century before the federal department was created in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter as a patronage reward for the support shown the Democratic party by teachers unions and the rest of the "education establishment" in 1976. Now, more than 20 years later, the federal department gathers in $44.5 billion per year, supposedly doling out these tax dollars to state and local school districts to "help" in many areas. In fact, all those moneys came out of local school districts in the first place since that's where the taxpayers live. The real effect of passing these funds through central government control (minus handling charges imagine getting your drinking water by running a leaky hose from your kitchen sink to Washington and back) is to give the federal department and the public employee unions that control it the power to control local school boards and school systems, by constantly holding over their heads the threat of "withdrawal" of these funds. Most taxpaying parents in this nation still imagine they're the bosses, since they pay the bills. In fact, the opposite is increasingly true. Rare is the local school board that dares defy the federal DOE. The tables are now so far turned that teachers our hired servants even have the power to recommend children be removed from homes for an increasing range of non-conformist parental behaviors (gun ownership, declining to "volunteer" kids for immunizations known to cause death and permanent brain damage) creatively redefined as "child abuse." Here in Nevada, there's even a serious proposal now working its way through the Legislature that would allow teachers to issue "report cards" in which they would grade parents. It is in this context that we must view the April 3 visit of the federal Education Department's chief inspector before Congress. Lorraine Lewis told the House Education investigations subcommittee her department lost nearly half a billion dollars in the past three years to waste, fraud and errors. Her audit found 21 cases in which grant checks, totaling $250 million, were issued twice to the same recipients. The audit also found that, of 676 employee government credit card statements reviewed, 141 statements with purchases valued at nearly $1 million were not signed by a supervisor. Several of the purchases included items that could be used for personal use, including computers. Department policy lists computers as items that shouldn't be purchased with the credit cards. About 230 employees had government credit cards in their names. Most had charge limits of $10,000 per month, but two were allowed to charge up to $300,000 per month. "In many ways it starts to look like a Third World republic that we're dealing with here," said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich. Congress has been scrutinizing the department's books since learning last year of a pair of theft schemes which diverted $3 million intended for children who live on Indian reservations and military bases. In another case, six department employees pleaded guilty to stealing $1 million in equipment and to falsely reporting overtime. The standard answer to such tip-of-the-iceberg revelations is: "So you found a few bad apples; that doesn't mean we throw out the whole barrel." In fact, the very purpose of the federal DOE is poisonous to crucial, local, parental control over our children's education, as well as over taxation and government in general. It's an asylum over which the inmates have had control from Day One. Better to dub it the Department of Stifling Central Control Over the Youth Propaganda Camps. Once again, the government schools for good or ill, and I'm on record as saying they should all be dynamited as soon as we can get the kids out were already in place when the DOE was formed ... and had been for 100 years. The federal DOE was not necessary to establish any schools or to educate any children, and has never done either. When we hand $44 billion per year to paper-shufflers and educrats with no purpose but to expand and protect their own bureaucratic empires, waste and fraud are not merely an unfortunate side effect they're the name of the game, the agency's very raison d'etre. Ronald Reagan ran for the presidency in 1980 on a promise to close the federal Department of Education. It's time long past time for someone to keep that promise. |
~~~o~~~ |
Vin Suprynowicz is assistant editorial page editor of the
Las Vegas Review-Journal. |
9 apr 2001


text:
P-Card Reallocation Training
Training for PS Online Allocation/Reallocation System
Thursday, April 18, 2019 · 10 - 11 AM
In this one-hour class, you will learn to use PeopleSoft's Online allocation/reallocation system. All cardholders or their designee are required to use this system to allocate/reallocate and approve P-Card charges each month.
By the end of the class, you will be able to identify P-Card charges, allocate charges to the appropriate chartstring, and approve changes via PeopleSoft.
UMBC staff responsible for reviewing Procurement (P-Card) charges, allocating P-Card expenses and/or approving P-Card expenses should attend.
Please print and bring, to the session, the P-Card Reallocation Guide which can be found on the Department of Procurement's website http://www.umbc.edu/procurement under the tab Resources for: UMBC Staff.


text:
US-China spats rattle world, prompting calls for unity
Published 9:56 am Tuesday, July 28, 2020
By JOE McDONALD
Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) — Antagonisms between the United States and China are rattling governments around the world, prompting a German official to warn of "Cold War 2.0" and Kenya's president to appeal for unity to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Global trade already was depressed by the 2-year-old tariff war between the world's two biggest economies. That rancor has spread to include Hong Kong, Chinese Muslims, spying accusations and control of the South China Sea.
Caught in the middle, other governments are trying to defend their own interests.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government wants to preserve trade and cooperation on global warming but says a security law tightening Beijing's control over Hong Kong is a "difficult issue."
The Hong Kong security law's potential disruption of the autonomy Beijing promised to the former British colony is no reason to stop talking but is "a worrying development," Merkel said.
Europe's biggest economy has yet to take a final position on Chinese tech giant Huawei despite U.S. pressure to exclude its equipment from next-generation telecom networks as a possible security risk.
"China is an important partner for us but also a competitor," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement after a videoconference Friday with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
Peter Beyer, the government's coordinator for trans-Atlantic cooperation, expressed alarm in an interview with the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland newspaper group.
"We are experiencing the beginning of a Cold War 2.0," Beyer said. He criticized both sides but said, "the U.S. is our most important partner outside the EU, and that is how it will stay."
President Emmanuel Macron calls President Donald Trump "my friend" but is trying to avoid riling Beijing.
France has not echoed Trump's criticism of Beijing's handling of the coronavirus, but legislators applauded Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian last week when he condemned abuses of minority Uighurs in China's northwest.
Le Drian mentioned "mass arrests, disappearances, forced labor, forced sterilizations, the destruction of Uighur cultural heritage." He said France has asked that the camps be closed.
"All these practices are unacceptable," the minister said. "We condemn them."
Trump's ambivalence toward U.S. allies and flouting of diplomatic norms has alarmed France.
"Sino-American tensions don't benefit France," said Valerie Niquet of the Foundation for Strategic Research, a think tank. "We share the same interests as the United States towards China, we adopt more or less the same positions, so it doesn't bring us any positive element."
Europe's "strategic relations" with China will be an issue for the European Union while Germany holds the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc, Merkel said this month.
EU foreign ministers have not managed to agree on a common position on China.
Regarding Hong Kong, options include closer scrutiny of exports of sensitive technology to the territory and changing visa policies for its residents. But there is no talk of economic sanctions or targeting Chinese officials with penalties.
"The message is that the recent actions change the rules," said the top EU foreign policy official, Josep Borrell. "This will require a revision of our approach and will clearly have an impact on our relations."
South Korea is squeezed between its main military ally and its biggest trading partner.
In 2016, Beijing destroyed supermarket operator Lotte's business in China after the conglomerate sold a plot of land in South Korea to the government for an anti-missile system over Chinese objections.
Washington is unhappy with South Korea's desire to ease sanctions on North Korea to encourage disarmament and uneasy about its use of Huawei technology.
Trump complains about the cost of stationing 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea to protect against North Korean threats. A cost-sharing agreement expired in 2019 without a replacement.
The U.S.-Chinese row "has thrown a question to South Korea" about which side to choose, the newspaper Dong-A Ilbo said in an editorial Monday.
"Sooner or later we will be forced to provide an answer, no matter how hard we tried to avoid it," the newspaper said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to embrace both Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump, but the pandemic and a border clash that killed at least 20 Indian soldiers have fueled anti-Chinese sentiment.
Protesters have called for boycotts of Chinese goods and burned Chinese flags. They applauded the government's ban on the popular Chinese video-sharing app TikTok and some other Chinese apps.
Washington wants stronger ties with India and supported its controversial move a year ago to split its only Muslim-majority state, restive Jammu and Kashmir, into two federally controlled territories. This month, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said the United States would stand up to China on the Indian border dispute.
"For India it is opportune that the U.S. is applying more pressure on China, and if it can get it to behave, that would be welcomed by the entire neighborhood," said Jayadev Ranade, president of the Center for China Analysis think tank in New Delhi.
China-U.S. tensions are taking a toll: The African Development Bank said last year trade disruption due to the tariff war could lead to a 2.5% drop in economic output for some African countries.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said political disputes should be set aside to better fight the coronavirus.
"Let's not be sucked back into isolationism or unilateralism. We need each other today more than ever," Kenyatta said an Atlantic Council event last month. "We're not going to fight coronavirus if one country fails and another succeeds."
The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations has avoided taking steps that would alienate Washington or Beijing, both important trading partners.
"The great powers, as they escalate their rivalry, will woo us into their side," said Harry Roque, a spokesman for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. "We will advance our national interest."
The region's most sensitive conflict — over control of the South China Sea — escalated when the Trump administration publicly rejected most of Beijing's claims to one of the world's busiest waterways.
"We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a July 13 statement.
The Philippines and Vietnam, among the most vocal critics of Chinese assertiveness, could benefit from that stance but will move cautiously, said Greg Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
"They aren't going to stick their necks in a noose until they see real follow-through from Washington," Poling said.