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The Mosque of Imam Hussein is one of Cairos holiest shrines. It contains the tomb of the Prophets grandson. It sits on a clean well lit little square next to the ancient bazaar.My friend Ken and I were to meet the Ustez (Professor) near the entrance closest to Fishawis Coffee Shop, our ultimate destination. But we were early. And since the Ustez was reliably late to everything, we were very early.The mosque is a beautiful simple building that looked gray in the indirect light cast by the surrounding shops. I glanced inside. Like all venerable holy places I have visited, whether very active churches in Rome or temples in Japan, this one gave a sense of profound peace. The floor was covered with beautiful well-worn carpets. Lamps hung from the ceiling giving the interior a charming diffuse light, as though the inside lay within the shade of a giant tree. There were people inside, some sitting on the floor talking softly in small groups, some sitting alone, some reading, some sleeping.--- Can we go in?--- No, no way, man. Not this mosque. This mosque is strictly forbidden to infidels.--- What if I did go in?--- Oh, you wouldnt want to do that. If they find an infidel in this mosque, they take out the Rug of Blood, make him kneel on it, and then they decapitate him. Since the police are all Muslims, they would do nothing to help you. It is their law.I am ashamed to admit that I believed this crap about the Rug of Blood. It seemed to me that anything was possible in Cairo.--- Since the Venerable Ustez will be late, we should follow the local custom and circumambulate the mosque for luck. This is done clockwise.--- Sure, why not?So we took a stroll around the mosque.When we had finished the circuit, we found the Ustez waiting. Although he was about 45 minutes late, we let him pretend that he had gotten there first and allowed him to chide us for our irresponsibility. He seemed cranky.--- Come. Let us refresh ourselves, he said. I am going to treat you to a delicacy.We walked over to a stand on the square and the Ustez placed an order. I was handed a glass. It was a thick sugar cane juice with figs and dates floating in it, suspended like planets.Now if there is anything I hate worse than figs, it is dates. I hate dates so much that at one point while I was still in Chicago I had seriously considered canceling my Egypt trip when I had read that the Egyptians ate a lot of dates.If the Ustez had given me a glass of cat turds floating in dog urine it could not have been worse. Yet he was already on his second one and he stood there in beaming expectation that I would quaff mine and fall onto my knees in ecstasy. So I tried to stall.I focused on the people in the mosque square. There were many cripples. In America, people are physically challenged and we fix them, accommodate them, or hide them. In the Third World, they have cripples; people with no faces, lepers, people with broken limbs set at 90 degree angles, eyeless people with no Raybans, all relying on the grace of God and the kindness of strangers. A man walked by with a goiter that hung all the way down to his belt. Our eyes met and his tired eyes said, what the hell are you looking at, infidel?Suddenly, I was startled to see a man who stood out in a different way. I dont know why I was startled. He had no physical deformity whatsoever. He seemed to be in his forties and was wearing a gallabiyah and skullcap like almost everyone else in the square. But he had this strange glow about him. He was radiating something, and at first I am sorry to say that I thought that he must be a European who had gone native. He has a certain sort of confidence to him that in the West we usually associate with old aristocracy. I couldnt put my finger on it, but he absolutely transfixed me until he disappeared into the mosque.The jig was now up with me and the dates. The drink was not something that I could hide in my pocket or toss over a fence. I had to confess that I hated dates and figs.This infuriated the Ustez and he looked at me as thought I were feeble minded. He grabbed the glass out of my hand and drank it himself.--- Well, perhaps you can manage a cup of coffee, then.So we went to Fishawis, the famous bazaar coffee house that had been open continuously around the clock for hundreds of years. The first thing that I saw when I entered was a stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling. The paneled walls had large round mirrors hanging from them. The place seemed to be full of blonde headed Swedes, as though a Viking convention was in town.We took a table from which we could see all. A small boy came by and dropped three pieces of hard candy on the table. I picked one up.--- You dont want to eat that candy, said the Ustez. For one thing, it is probably 40 years old. Churchill might have fingered that very one. But its not for eating in any case.--- Whats if for?--- It is for that woman, he said, motioning with his chin to a thin woman dressed in black who had appeared from nowhere. If you want the woman, you take the candy.I put the candy down and in a few minutes she came by. She looked into my eyes and gave me a lascivious smile. I was shocked to see that she was extremely old and wrinkled. Her face was covered with a paste of makeup and she had so much kohl on her eyes she looked like some sort of ancient raccoon. The Ustez greeted her with a polite nod and a couple of words, and she greeted him back.--- The remarkable thing, he said after she had picked up the three pieces of candy and headed over to a table full of stocky blondes who were busily munching theirs, is that she has been here since I was a mere lad and she was just as ancient then. She must be at least 90. When she dies, if she ever does die, they may have to hang her up next to the crocodile. By the way, I understand, Mr. unagidon, that you are still not feeling well.--- Yeah, still sick. I probably need to rest for a few days.--- You need something, said the Ustez, fiddling in his shirt pocket with what I had thought was a glasses case.He put it on the table and unzipped it. Inside were two syringes and two small injection bottles. He took out a syringe and one of the bottles--- Here. Roll up your sleeve.Ken started to laugh.--- Ustez, I whispered looking around, were in the middle of a coffee shop!--- Oh, dont worry. Its only vitamin B. It will make you feel much better.--- No thank you. Ill pass.--- Are you sure? Well, as you wish, he said, putting his works away. Perhaps if you are squeamish about public places...I asked the Ustez about the Mosque of Hussein and especially about the Rug of Blood. He giggled at this.--- Well, it is best for infidels not to enter the mosque. Its not there for tourists after all. And a non-Muslim would do well to stay away from the square entirely on certain holy days.We finished our coffee and the Ustez suggested that we not go out drinking after all given that I was still under the weather. Ken seemed disappointed, but he didnt argue.We headed back towards the mosque, where the Ustez expected to be able to catch a taxi. When we got to the square, he announced that that we needed some refreshment, even though we had only walked about 100 feet. This time is was a tall glass of fresh orange juice. We stood at a counter drinking and chatting idly, when the Ustez suddenly said, Excuse me, I must see someone.He walked towards a man whom I was surprised to recognize as the strangely glowing man who had entered the mosque. They seemed to know each other very well and they laughed it up for a few minutes. There was still something about that manAnd then the Ustez was pointing in our direction and I knew they were talking about us. The stranger gave me a long hard look while the Ustez said something to him. He smiled, looked at the Ustez, and chuckled about something. Then he and the Ustez salaamed each other and the man walked back into the mosque.When the Ustez came back, Ken asked, who was that?--- Oh, I have played a great joke at Mr. unagidons expense.He started chuckling and seemed very pleased with himself.--- What did you say, I asked.--- That man I was speaking to is the head of the Sufi order attached to the Mosque of Hussein. A very holy man. He asked if you two were Muslims. I told him that Mr. Kent was not, but that you were, Mr. unagidon. He asked me how long you had been a Muslim. Rather often we have young Westerners who come to visit our glorious city who, in a spirit of exuberance, decide to convert to Islam. Regrettably, these kinds of conversions seldom last. But I assured him that you had been a Muslim for over three years and that you had converted in.Massachusetts!He was laughing so hard; he could hardly spit out the last word.--- But the best part is that he wants you to pray with him and his fellowship in the mosque tonight!The tears were now running down his cheeks and Ken was laughing too, no doubt from the look I had on my face.--- I cant pray in that mosque! Im not a Muslim!--- I know. Isnt it wonderful? But Mr. unagidon, it isnt often that one gets an invitation to prayer from the head Sufi of the Holy Mosque of Hussein!He wiped his eyes.--- Well gentlemen, alas but I must depart. I will see you again soon and Mr.unagidon I wish you a speedy recovery. Salaam.And he waddled off through the crowd and was gone.--- I want to get out of here, now, I told Ken.--- Why? He was having a joke. What are you worried about?--- Do you think he was telling the truth?--- Absolutely and without a doubt. Hes a great prankster. This is just his style. But dont sweat it. I dont see any Sufis around here. Im sure that guy has already forgotten about you.--- I dont know--- Trust me, okay? Lets split.--- All right.---But first we have to do another circuit around the mosque.--- We do?! Why do we need to do that?--- Custom, Luck. We have to do it, man. This is Cairo. This is the way that it is.--- All right. But lets walk quickly.Of course, we strolled. I thought about the Sufi and now I knew what was odd about him. He had an aura.Some weeks before on the way toCairoI had spent a week inRome. I had traveled with a group of Ukrainians, some of whom I had gone to high school with, and I had ended up staying in a Ukrainian religious pension run by nuns. These particular Ukrainians were Catholics and the Ukrainian cardinal in Rome had enough clout to get us front row seats to a general papal audience. I was interested in seeing the pope (Paul VI) to see if he looked particularly holy or not. I can report that in his snow-white outfit he looked like a cunning Sicilian grandfather wandering around in a nightshirt. The two tall cardinals flanking him dressed in blood red looked like the Vultures of Inquisition. All in all, it was what I expected.But the Pope had guests who were dragged up to the front each in their turn. Some childrens delegations made up of little cuties carrying flowers, some priests from the back of beyond, a few Irish nuns; and then something remarkable. Two Middle Eastern monks dressed in black Maronite vestments were leading and supporting an ancient man wearing a white monks robe and skullcap and carrying a cheap bunch of flowers. He looked to be 100, and he was weeping unashamedly with joy from the experience of meeting the Pope. This man had an aura too. It was so tangible that he seemed to glow and the pope, the cardinals, and the monks looked like burned out light bulbs beside him. He was a hermit and he had been dragged out of some cave in Syria and cleaned up for the trip. I had never seen a person like this before, though I had read about them; someone of a tangible spirituality. And now inCairoI had seen another.I mused about this as we turned the corner and headed on the last leg of the circuit. I wasnt paying much attention to the square.--- Hey, man, look! Its your buddy! said Ken.I looked up. The Sufi was walking directly towards me with a group of at least 20 men behind him. He was staring at me.--- What am I going to do, I hissed out of the side of my mouth.--- Looks like you are going to get to pray in the mosque after all.--- What?! I dont know how to pray like a Muslim! I dont even know any Arabic. Theyll catch on in a second!--- Bummer.What was I going to do? When they found out, they were going to fetch the Rug of Blood, which I pictured as being very stiff and black. At the very least they were going to beat me to death for walking around the Holy Mosque of Hussein masquerading as a Muslim.Then I thought of a way out. It was so simple. As soon as I touched the threshold of the mosque, I would fake a full-blown epileptic seizure, fall down, and start thrashing around. Yes, thats exactly what I would do.He came closer and closer, a small smile on his lips. Could I do it? Should I do it? I then realized that I couldnt do it. How could I? He was about ten feet away now. Then five. When he was about three feet away, he suddenly looked through me and passed me, walking so close that he almost brushed my shoulder. The group with him simply split and went around us and went on their way.--- Man, that was close, said Ken.--- Yeah, thanks a lot, buddy.My knees were shaking, but I noticed that my adrenaline levels were so high that my hangover was gone. We got to the end of the square and then Ken took a left and led me down some dark streets that got darker and darker as we walked.--- Where are we going?--- Were just walking. It seems like a fine night for a walk.As we continued to walk for a couple of miles, we reached a point where even house lights were becoming scarce. Strange neighborhood.--- Where are we?--- Where are we? We are in the cemetery.--- The cemetery? But these are houses.--- These are tombs. This is Egypt. People have buried their dead in tombs for 5,000 years when they could afford it. But you should come here during the day. Theres, like, half a million people living in the cemetery.--- Are you serious?We had seen no one. It looked like a typical Cairo working class neighborhood, but deserted.--- They stay in at night. Officially they are not supposed to live here.--- These look like houses and mosques to me.--- The mosques are mosques, with tombs inside. The houses are mausoleums, with rooms like a regular house. The dead are buried in the walls and floors. From time to time the family comes and spends the day with them just as they did in the days of Cheops--- Why doesnt the city kick them out?--- No place for them to go. Unofficially, the city is glad they are here. Half a million people with housing and the city does not have to pipe in water or have sewerage or electricity, since this is a cemetery and no one lives here.--- What about the owners of the tombs?--- Officially, some of these people are caretakers for the tombs. Someone hires Fouad to look after a tomb. Fouad brings his family to help. They bring their relatives and friends. The abandoned tombs get occupied and cared for. Pretty soon, you have half a million living here.--- Is this place safe?--- No. Bad place to be at night.--- Then why are we here?--- Were not here. Who goes to the cemetery in the middle of the night?I marveled at the simplicity of this form of urban planning. Even though we werent actually there, we sped through anyway and soon we were clear, on a road through the rocks and sand. In the full moon we could see rather clearly.--- Where the hell are we now?--- Outside the old walls.In the distance I could see low rocky hills. That was Cairo. One step and one was out of the green and into the brown.--- Those hills are full of SAM sites, said Ken. Restricted areas.Almost on cue, a large American car came roaring up the road. It had six men in it. It pulled to a gravel scattering stop next to us. I didnt like the look of it, and I continued walking a few yards down the road while Ken engaged them in animated conversation. Finally he laughed and I saw them waving as the car pulled speedily away.--- What was that?--- That was odd. Those guys asked me if I knew how to get out to the SAM sites without passing through the military checkpoints.--- Creepy. Were they some sort of police?--- Who knows? This is Egypt. They could have been anyone.We continued on. To our left, the land sloped down to a sort of valley. To the right was a wall of rock that looked to be forty feet high at least. I could not see to the top. Had it not been for the surface of the modern road, I might have been walking in biblical times.Then the road turned a corner. Suddenly, ahead of me the road dipped and on top of the rock was part of the old structure of the Citadel. The Citadel was an ancient fortress built by Saladin during the Crusades, using Crusader prisoners of war. It was startling to see it there in the moonlight. Pure sublime romantic beauty. Below the wall on the other side of the road was a tea garden, ancient as well, shaded by many venerable trees.--- Lets get a beer, said Ken.So we walked down. They seemed surprised to see us, which made sense, considering the road we had walked in on. The service was more perfunctory than friendly. Still, it was so picturesque we would have stayed. But I was freezing. I had forgotten how cold the desert gets at night. Ken of course was wearing a light jacket.--- You should have worn a jacket, man, he said as he watched me shiver.--- Now you tell me. Can you order me a tea?The waiter brought me tea and contrary to all Arab custom I belted it down in order to warm up.--- Lets get back.---Thats cool.We paid up and headed out. Instead of turning back, Ken wanted to continue up the road.--- Im pretty sure that this road leads back to the city.--- Pretty sure? What if it doesnt?But we continued up the road another kilometer or two and after the road took another turn, we were back in the rocks and sand. The cliff to our right came right up to the edge of the road; to the left, the low valley.--- Whats that noise?--- That? Probably just some dogs. Sound carries a long way in the desert.But not tonight. These dogs were at the bottom of the valley just to our left, maybe sixty feet down the slope.--- Stop! said Ken. Freeze!It was a pack of feral dogs, maybe twenty of them; ugly, vicious and starving. They stopped and looked up at us, sniffing the air.We faced each other in total silence. Then they attacked, rushing up the hill towards us.At our feet were rocks of various sizes, from baked potatoes to loaves of bread. Ken picked up a potato and threw it at into the pack, hitting one of them.--- Start throwing! he yelled. Come on, you bastards! he screamed, throwing another one. They barked and growled and slowed a bit, but they kept coming.We started throwing the rocks, one handed and two handed, as fast as we could. We hit some and knocked some down, but still they kept coming on.Ken had a good arm. He had played a lot of Little League when he was a kid. His shots told. I was more like the field artillery with few scores and a lot of property damage. I was scared witless and was starting to regret a childhood filled with books.Then Ken threw a potato that knocked down the leader of the pack. The dogs suddenly stopped and began to mill around. Now that they were relatively stationary, we were hitting them better and to my great joy they started to back off. So did we. But we kept the rocks flying until they turned and limped off. We backed down the road for about 20 years with rocks in hand until we were sure they were gone.--- Now that was, said Ken.I dont think that I had anything to say. I was in shock.We trudged on down the road until we came to an old gate, then some houses, and then two old mosques on either side of the road silently mirroring each other. There were some people now. Farmers from the look of it, bringing the morning produce in to the sleeping city.As we passed between the mosques, Ken announced that he was hungry. I found that I was too.--- Lets keep an eye open for a place.We found one soon. It was a koshari joint, fifteen piastres a plate. It was a low down dive of a place with dirty dishes and the koshari was totally awful on technical points, but it was one of the best meals I ever had.(For those who would like to try it at home, here is the recipe:1 half cup overcooked white rice1 half cup overcooked spaghetti1 half cup watery tomato sauce, straight from the can1 half cup cooked lentils1 table spoon of spices, chosen at random1 half table spoon of sand, ground finelyPut the rice on a dirty plate and dump the rest of the stuff on top. Garnish with a wild dog attack and a severe hangover. Serves one.)While we ate, Ken showed me something. He held up the palms of his hands. The upside down V and the vertical line on the left palm looks like the Arabic number 81. The vertical line and the upside down V on the palm of the right hand looks like the Arabic number 18. 81 + 18 = 99; this is the number of names of Allah.--- See, were branded!He laughed and then clapped his hands together, yawned, and stretched.--- What a day, he said, like we were knocking off from some office job. Lets catch a taxi and get home and get some sleep. Need to rest up. Were going out tonight with Khaled and the boys
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Real-time bidding, or "programmatic buying" as it is sometimes called, is remaking the online ad industry with its approach of matching supply and demand of ad inventory in real time against the attributes of any given viewer.
Now this trend is starting to creep into how mobile ads are delivered.
First, the stats: There is little doubt that this technology, which had its fair share of critics when it first debuted a few years ago, is beginning to dominate the online ad industry, especially as more advertisers become familiar with the environment and the many players.
eMarketer recently revised upward its projections for RTB digital display advertising in the U.S., forecasting that marketers will spend US$3.34 billion this year on real-time-bidded ads, up 73.9 percent from 2012. As recently as June, eMarketer forecast RTB spending would reach $3.32 billion, for growth of 72.7 percent.
It has also revised upward growth rates for future years — it now expects advertisers to spend $8.69 billion on RTB ads by 2017, up from the $8.51 billion previously forecast.
The reason for the increase in digital ad spending is mobile, eMarketer notes, pointing to higher spending in this category — with higher accompanying levels of RTB.
Yet while the numbers point to a tidal wave of RTB-fueled mobile ads in future years, the sense on the ground — at least among marketers not steeped in mobile advertising — is that it is still an experimental format, and especially so for mobile. They believe, in short, that the jury is still out on this technology.
'A New Age in Mobile Marketing'
Not so, experts say. If it isn't apparent now that RTB is driving mobile ad spend and delivery, it soon will be.
"RTB is becoming dominant in mobile marketing as we speak right now — I would go so far as to call it a new era for mobile marketing," Fred Hsu, CEO of RTB.com, told CRM Buyer.
The driver, he says, is the explosion of additional users due to their smartphones and tablets — "RTB will account for the way ads are served to a majority of these users," he said.
For many publishers, buyers and agencies, programmatic buying is no longer in the testing stage, Victor Milligan, CMO with Nexage, told CRM Buyer.
Instead, they are moving toward adopting programmatic buying as a strategic technology for both public and private trading, he said — "in short, RTB and programmatic are rapidly shifting from a disruptor to a strategic foundation for mobile advertising."
If Not Now, Then When?
All that said, the majority of mobile ad demand, at this point in time, is still not RTB-enabled, Mike Cohen, vice president for performance and programmatic advertising with InMobi, pointed out.
"Real-time bidding is growing at exponential rates in the mobile advertising world," Cohen told CRM Buyer.
"Some notable publishers have announced they will be moving all or a majority of their inventory to RTB," he explained, but "compared to the online/desktop world, it is still a relatively small piece of the pie."
Cohen is of the mind that the market will see the dramatic shift to RTB for mobile in 2014 — "the momentum is headed in the right direction," he said.
Others also see greater utilization in the coming year.
There is a continued glut of available inventory that RTB can address, David Scatterday, senior product marketing for mobile atDG MediaMind, told CRM Buyer. "The presence of excess mobile inventory, particularly on the Web side, drives publishers to embrace RTB in order to monetize unsold supply at efficient price points."

subset: commoncrawl


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Nominations for the 2010 Pliny for Volcanic Event of the Year
It is the time of the year to look back on the eruptions of 2010. As I did last year, I will be recounting the Volcanic Year in Review and award the 2010 Pliny Award for the volcanic event of the year. Now, you're probably all thinking "well, that is a foregone conclusion!" However, I'd like to think that even if your #1's might be similar, there will be a lot of variety as we head down the list.
So, on that note, I ask for your nominations for the 2010 Pliny – please leave a comment or email me (eruptionsblog at gmail dot com) with your top three volcano events of 2010. Sift through the blog (easily to start with the current post and go backwards using the "previous" button below the post text) and see what you think deserves recounting in the Volcanic Year in Review. I will collect nominations until December 31 and then post the Year in Review along with announcing the 2010 Pliny early in 2011.
I look forward to your nominations!
Top left: 2009 Pliny winner Sarychev Peak as seen from the International Space Station.


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2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (I used Kerrygold)
1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon, divided use
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup whole milk, or half-n-half, or coconut milk
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until creamy - about 1 minute. Beat in egg and milk until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop out dough onto cookie sheets. In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top of cookies. Bake 8 minutes or until light golden brown and set. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 20 cookies


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W.E.B. Du Bois
About the Author
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868–1963), writer, civil rights activist, scholar, and editor, is one of the most significant intellectuals in American history. A founding member of the NAACP, editor for many years of The Crisis and three other journals, and author of seventeen books, his writings, speeches, and public debates brought fundamental changes to American race relations.


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Total Compensation Management is increasingly complex given the combination of less predictable compensation budgets and efforts to support both individual and enterprise goals and needs.
BEND, OR, November 24, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ventana Research today launched its latest benchmark research initiative into Total Compensation Management. The purpose of this research is to determine the awareness of organizations, their willingness to adopt modern total compensation management systems and their intentions. It will provide valuable insights by identifying market opportunities to accelerate organizations' adoption of total compensation management systems while also identifying the impediments to doing so as well as benefits and best practices developed by those that have advanced their processes and systems since our previous research.
Improvement of compensation processes has become a part of business strategy and planning conversations in executive-level management meetings. However, this does not mean that many organizations have succeeding in doing it. In our previous research the largest percentage of participants (47%) cited inconsistent execution across divisions and departments as an impediment motivating investments in compensation management. Most organizations need to know which process and systems changes will make their compensation practices more strategic and effective. Executives and managers need help to determine the set of capabilities that could play a key role in reengineering the organization's approach to compensation management.
This research aims to determine market opportunities, approaches and organizational requirements, trends and opportunities to manage compensation processes through systems that automate and improve performance. Gaining an understanding of what the next generation of compensation systems can do is critical to advancing the sophistication of both purchasers and the marketplace.
Our new benchmark research gathers that knowledge by examining how organizations are managing these essential components of total compensation management in these areas: Base pay; Merit pay and Bonuses; Market adjustments; Variable Pay; non-financial Rewards; Department-Specific Compensation; Stock and Incentive Stock Option (ISO); Executive Compensation; Benchmarking; Pay for Performance; Planning Benefits; Paid Time Off or Leave and Analytics and Reporting.
"Total Compensation Management is increasingly complex given the combination of less predictable compensation budgets and efforts to support both individual and enterprise goals and needs," said Steve Goldberg, VP & Research Director at Ventana Research. "These challenges and requirements for compensation will lead to our work to continue to bring best practices and insights to help our clients and the HCM community."
Those interested in learning more about or participating in this benchmark research can do so at https://bit.ly/2J1EtaN. Ventana Research, a leading business technology research and advisory services firm, provides qualified research participants a $25 gift card incentive and a complementary report of the findings, which includes both key insights and best practices from the benchmark research.
About Ventana Research
Ventana Research is the most authoritative and respected benchmark business technology research and advisory services firm. We provide insight and expert guidance on mainstream and disruptive technologies through a unique set of research-based offerings including benchmark research and technology evaluation assessments, education workshops and our research and advisory services, Ventana On-Demand. Our unparalleled understanding of the role of technology in optimizing business processes and performance and our best practices guidance are rooted in our rigorous research-based benchmarking of people, processes, information and technology across business and IT functions in every industry. This benchmark research plus our market coverage and in-depth knowledge of hundreds of technology providers means we can deliver education and expertise to our clients to increase the value they derive from technology investments while reducing time, cost and risk.
Ventana Research provides the most comprehensive analyst and research coverage in the industry; business and IT professionals worldwide are members of our community and benefit from Ventana Research's insights, as do highly regarded media and association partners around the globe. Our views and analyses are distributed daily through blogs and social media channels including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. To learn how Ventana Research advances the maturity of organizations' use of information and technology through benchmark research, education and advisory services, visit www.ventanaresearch.com.
Media: Interviews available upon request.
Media Contact: [email protected]
Tweet this: News: @VentanaResearch launches benchmark research in Total Compensation Management https://bit.ly/2J8Z392 #TCM #HR #HCM
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Novation has thrown down the gauntlet to its rivals by claiming that it'll launch "the biggest music-making product of Musikmesse 2009".
This massive event will take place in Frankfurt from 1 to 4 April - it's an annual exhibition that rivals the Winter NAMM Show for the title of 'biggest music equipment trade fair in the world'.
Novation hasn't revealed any more details about its announcement; we assume that when it says "biggest" it's referring to potential impact rather than physical size.
What the company has confirmed, though, is that it'll make an announcement at 11.45am on the first day of the show.
MusicRadar will be reporting live from Musikmesse - check back soon for specific details of our extensive coverage.
Rest assured, though, that we'll let you know all about Novation's plans as soon as they've been made public.


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Women Pass the Pigskin On Israeli Football Team
JERUSALEM — This Sunday, large numbers of Israelis will be watching the Super Bowl, cheering on the New England Patriots and their philanthropic-minded owner, Robert Kraft. A few weeks later, they'll be cheering on a very different football team backed by Kraft — a team of young women, many of them Orthodox Jews.
Kraft does business in Israel, operating the country's largest packaging plant, Carmel Container Systems in Caesarea. And along with his wife Myra, Kraft has helped develop a sister-city relationship between his hometown of Boston and Haifa, assisting in the absorption of Haifa's Ethiopian community.
But Kraft has done something even more unusual, blending his love of Israel with his passion for football by sinking $250,000 into the Kraft Family Stadium. Located at the north end of Sachar Park near the entrance to Jerusalem, the stadium has served for four years as a center for sports in the Israeli capital, hosting youth soccer and softball groups, little league baseball and a hugely successful men's flag football league.
Now the stadium is also home to something new: Israel's only women's football team.
"When we first met with the Kraft family, Myra was quite interested and insistent that we do something about women's sports," said Steve Leibowitz, stadium director and president of American Football in Israel, which runs the men's league. "At the time it hadn't occurred to us because we were involved with men's football and we didn't think in terms of women's football."
While refereeing a men's game last October, Leibowitz noticed a group of high school girls watching. He walked over and asked if they wanted to form a women's team; they jumped at the chance, and two weeks later provided a list of interested players.
Well, not exactly "players." While the men in the league — mostly Americans spending a post-high school year at an Israeli yeshiva — have been playing the game since childhood, some of the women had never held a football before.
"They had never played — most of them had no concept of the game," said Yona Mishaan, a perennial MVP in the men's league who volunteered to coach the women. "I had no idea if this was going to work."
Mishaan's aim was to take the 14 women, ages 15 to 23, and make them respectable enough to compete in the international flag football championships next month in the Dominican Republic, where the Israeli national men's team also will play.
He found his team leader in 17-year-old Shana Sprung, the quarterback, whose experience consisted of playing tackle football at home with two older brothers.
"When I look at this team — I was here from day one — how it was then and what it is now, it's amazing what a difference," said Sprung, a native of Miami who made aliyah with her family 15 years ago. "We're catching the ball. A lot of the girls, when they came out, they didn't even know, like, how the game worked. In football, if you don't work as a team, if everybody doesn't do the exact pattern, then the play is not going to work. In the beginning our team had a hard time understanding that."
In addition, the team had to deal with other concerns, because most of the players are observant. While Leibowitz called the team "a real breakthrough" for Orthodox women, he and Mishaan had to calm the fears of the players' parents, calling a meeting to discuss issues like keeping kosher, observing the Sabbath, female chaperones — and uniforms. Some will wear pants, while others wear skirts, but questions of modesty had to be taken seriously.
"Our girls have been given the responsibility themselves of designing their own skirts," said Leibowitz. "They are sewing them themselves. They bought the material. Yona and I didn't want to decide how long their skirts have to be; the girls should decide what's modest and what's not."
Ironically, those uniforms will include the patch of the team's main sponsor, JDate, a Web site devoted to dating — an activity in which Mishaan and Leibowitz promised the parents that the players would not be indulging.
For their part, the parents seem as excited as the team is, at the thought of their daughters playing and representing Israel at an international competition.
"This whole idea of my daughter being an athlete is a dream come true, because my daughter is very gifted athletically, and there was no venue for her to apply herself," said Rebecca Sprung, Shana's mother. "I always felt that she was missing something because she is quite athletic. She rollerblades, she rides horses, she rides bikes, but she never had a chance to excel in a competitive sport…. I have never seen her happier in my life. She's totally, totally blossomed with this challenge."
The youngest player is 15-year-old Ahuva Odenheimer, the team's center. For her, it's all for fun.
"It's, like, a place where I just concentrate on one thing during the week," Odenheimer said. "I have four hours a week where I don't do anything but football and hang out with my new friends. It's kind of relaxing; I can clear my head from everything else. Maybe it's a bit of an escape from another world — school, problems at home, problems with friends, whatever it is."
But competition is the name of the game. To that end, Mishaan convinced the Tel Aviv women's rugby team to drive up to Jerusalem last week for a scrimmage. The results were encouraging, considering the rugby team had never played football before.
So while Kraft can feel proud that his Patriots have reached the Super Bowl twice in three years, he can also take pride in having facilitated perhaps an even greater accomplishment: an Israeli women's football team competing internationally.
"We're definitely not coming back [from the Dominican Republic] with the cup," said quarterback Sprung. "I just hope we win some games. I know there are some teams we have no reason to lose against, and if we can beat teams that are better than us, then why not? The more the merrier. I feel blessed to have this opportunity, to bring pride to my country during its bad times."


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FRIDAY, Feb. 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Given the news of the devastating effects of head injuries among professional football players, parents may wonder if their mini athletes are at risk, too.
Some very well might be, new research suggests.
About 7 percent of children 3 to 17 years old have experienced a head injury, according to U.S. health officials.
The findings are part of a report on children's head injuries released Feb. 9 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More boys (8 percent) than girls (6 percent) have had a significant head injury, according to the data. And the older kids are, the more likely they are to have had such an injury. Nearly 12 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds have had a significant head injury, the report showed.
This "suggests that as more children and teens engage in sports and other activities, the risk for a head injury also goes up," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
The good news, he said, is that most children with a concussion improve within two weeks. It's not yet known if there are long-term effects from these injuries.
The CDC report included data from a nationally representative survey completed in 2016. Parents were asked if their children had ever had a concussion or other significant head injury.
However, the term "significant head injury" really doesn't accurately describe what has occurred, said Dr. Karl Klamar, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Such injuries, he said, are forms of mild traumatic brain injury.
"Euphemisms like 'seeing stars' or 'having your bell rung' have diminished the seriousness of these injuries," Klamar said.
He noted that most of these injuries occur during sports. Other causes include motor vehicle accidents, falls and, as kids get older, physical altercations.
One new cause of head injuries -- and one that's largely preventable -- is a fall caused by distracted walking.
"Kids just aren't paying attention to what's in front of them," Glatter said. "They're looking at their phones and walking into light poles, windows and doorways."
The CDC report found that white children and kids with parents who have more than a high school education are the most likely to sustain a head injury. Klamar said that's probably because those kids have more access to sports.
What happens, then, when a child younger than 17 has a head injury?
"The results are phenomenally variable," Klamar said. "Kids may experience symptoms for a few minutes to a few hours to a few months. Every injury is different."
The severity of the injury also doesn't always predict how quickly someone will recover from the injury, he said.
Short-term symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, problems with concentration and memory, irritability, anxiety and depression. Such symptoms can affect a child's education and his or her ability to participate in school, according to Klamar.
"In terms of being able to make predictions about long-term effects, that's something we're not good at yet," he said. "But it does seem that repeated blows may be more important."
Glatter agreed. "You don't have to have a concussion to cause damage," he said.
You also don't necessarily need head impact to sustain a concussion or brain injury, he said. Body contact can transmit force to the neck and head, he explained.
A possible bright spot in the data is that most kids who'd had a head injury -- 81 percent -- had just one significant head injury.
What can parents do to help their children avoid injuries?
"First, tell them to look up and know what's going on in front of you," suggested Glatter.
If your kids have a cellphone or tablet, be sure they're aware of the importance of not using these devices when walking. "They need to focus on their environment," he said.
Both experts said that using helmets in sports is crucial. Klamar emphasized always wearing a helmet for both competitive and recreational sports, such as ice skating, bike riding and sledding.
Klamar and Glatter also said kids need to wear a seat belt in all moving vehicles, including taxis. Younger children need to be in car seats or booster seats that are age- and size-appropriate, Klamar said.
"Size is probably the biggest factor," Klamar said. "Children need to be at least 48 inches tall and at least 80 pounds before they're out of a booster seat."
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advice on preventing kids' head injuries.


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By Sharon Foster and Michael Langer
The recent deaths of three Washington teens—a 14-year-old Bellingham girl, a 17-year-old boy in Shoreline, and an 18-year-old Washington State University student —remind us just how dangerous alcohol is for minors. As parents and co-chairs of the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking our hearts go out to the families and friends who are suffering these terrible losses.
Before we lose another child, grandchild, student, and friend, let's ask ourselves what we as adults are doing to encourage or discourage underage drinking.
Parents matter
Parents are the #1 influence on their children's decisions about alcohol. Although their friends and the media also play a role, studies consistently show that parents are the key, and kids pay attention to what they say and do. Opportunities and pressure to drink (especially during holidays and other times for celebrating) are constant in their young lives.
The most important steps parents can take are to lock up their alcohol, never provide it to minors, continue guiding healthy choices with your teens and college students, and give them the facts:
- Alcohol kills more kids than tobacco and illegal drugs combined -- 5,000 youth under 21 die each year from underage-drinking related injuries.
- One in five tenth graders will binge drink (five or more drinks in a row) in the next two weeks.
- Alcohol causes damage to the developing teen brain, putting them at greater risk for learning problems and addiction.
Communities matter
We are concerned about youth access to alcohol. Recent news reports strongly suggest that stolen liquor is making its way into the hands of teens. Have you wondered what you can do to help create a healthier place for kids to grow up? Each of us has the power to reduce youth exposure to alcohol and its advertising by:
- Showing our children that we can socialize and have fun without alcohol, setting clear rules against underage drinking, and never providing alcohol to those under 21.
- Asking store owners to remove alcohol ads in windows and keep beer away from candy, toys, pop, other kid-friendly items and the store entrance.
- Work with fair boards and community festival coordinators to minimize or eliminate youth exposure to alcohol advertising and promotion.
- Making it harder for youth to get alcohol, and letting adults know it's not ok to give it to teens.
Preventing underage drinking tragedies is up to all of us. Find out how to join others in your community to reduce underage drinking, and get tips for talking with youth, at www.StartTalkingNow.org.
Michael Langer and Sharon Foster co-chair the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. Michael Langer administers statewide drug prevention programs at the state Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. Sharon Foster is the Chair of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.


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The [Sisters in Islam] SIS Forum (Malaysia) succeeded in throwing out the Home Minister's order banning its 215-page book, Muslim Women and the Challenges of Islamic Extremism. High Court judge Justice Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof on Monday ruled that the book is not a threat to public order. He said the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia's (Jakim) objection to the book was that it could confuse Muslims, especially those who with only a superficial knowledge of their religion, as the publication explains Islamic teachings according to the writers' own views.
A large-scale study currently underway across Malaysia uncovers proof that polygamy harms everyone involved: from emotionally scarred children, to wives who think they'd be better off as single-parent households, and even husbands who admit "I wouldn't recommend it for my son; it's quite stressful."
A city church in the leafy Desa Melawati suburb was set on fire at midnight as police warned angry Muslim groups not to protest a controversial ruling allowing Catholic weekly Herald to use "Allah" in its national language section. The attack on the Metro Tabernacle A/G, an Assemblies of God church in Jalan 4/4C Desa Melawati, completely gutted its administrative office on the ground floor. There were no reported injuries in the midnight attack. Police have yet to identify the attackers and no one has claimed responsibility for the attack which could be related to anger over the Dec 31 court ruling. The judgment has been suspended pending government appeal.
Southeast Asia Muslim human rights advocates express concerns on the growth of politicized Islam in the ASEAN region and makes recommendations to ASEAN leaders at the 15th ASEAN Summit. A regional meeting of Southeast Asian human rights advocates was held in Jakarta on 16-17 October 2009 to examine how certain interpretations of Sharia laws are affecting the rights of the women in Muslim contexts in the region and undermining secularism and democratic institutions in such countries as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.
The arrest of a progressive ulama has plunged many Malaysians into further despair that this country is hurtling towards an implosion but it may prove a blessing in disguise.
The following, and attached, are recommendations from the Regional Meeting held in Jakarta, 16-17 October 2009. Islam in Southeast Asia has long been recognized as humane, tolerant, diverse, plural, metropolitan, progressive, and empowering of women. It is thus a matter of urgent concern that the rapid growth of Islamic extremism is now changing the landscape in Southeast Asia, with serious consequences for all living in the region, as well as for the rest of the world. Leaders of ASEAN member states are urged to be cognizant of this regressive trend, which will have serious impacts not only on women's rights, human rights, but also on the stability and development of the region as a whole. The conservative and monolithic values that underlie this trend are intolerant of the diversity that characterizes Southeast Asia. Such extremist attitudes result in acts that marginalize women and also use terrorist tactics to eliminate diversity.


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Brain teasers are fun to keep yourself or someone else occupied as well as keeping your brain active. A metal or wooden brainteaser would make a great gift or stocking stuffer because you can find a range of difficulty levels for all ages. Difficulty Levels are out of 6, with 1 being the easiest and 6 being the most challenging.
Not only do brain teasers test your mind but so do jigsaw puzzles. With thousands of puzzles in stock from top-selling brands, we promise that we have the perfect jigsaw puzzle for you. Choose from over 50 brands and several different puzzle themes to find your next masterpiece.
As our puzzle selection grows, so do our new arrivals. We receive hundreds of new titles from your favorite brands on a monthly basis to give you exciting new puzzles to add to your collection!
Puzzle Warehouse is here to give you the best experience and to help create memories that will last a lifetime!
Copyright © 2008-2024, Puzzle Warehouse, All rights reserved.
Puzzle Warehouse recycles everything it can to save the environment and to keep costs and prices low.
We are hiring! Please fill out the employment form or send your resume to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The Botanical Education Alliance (BEA) is an organization dedicated to educating consumers, lawmakers, law enforcement, and the media about safe and therapeutic natural supplements including Mitragyna speciosa, also known as Kratom.
Our mission is to increase understanding in order to influence public policy and protect natural supplements. Our vision is to create a society where every adult has the right to access safe and effective natural supplements.
The BEA pursues this mission by engaging the Kratom community and informing decision-makers about government overreach and the criminalization of natural supplements, many of which have been used safely for centuries.
Once access to safe and medicinal natural supplements is ensured, we will work to establish the proper policies to protect consumers from mislabeled, confusing and adulterated products.
Governed by a Board of Directors, the Botanical Education Alliance is an independent institution.


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May 20, 1952
The Bloque Cubano de Prensa [Cuban National Association of Newspaper and Magazine Publishers] mediates in the political crisis. They urged the regime to make political concessions to the opposition and to convince the opposition to accept them in order to achieve a peaceful solution. The negotiations soon broke down. Both camps were recalcitrant. The opposition demanded extreme and unrealistic concessions: Batista and his cabinet had to resign in toto and be replaced by nonpolitical figures unequivocally neutral followed by general elections. For the following five years this recalcitrant revolutionary opposition wouldn't modify the core of these demands and sabotaged any compromises advocated by the electoralists.
based on Manuel Márquez-Sterling's Cuba 1952-1959 and
Cuba 1952-1959 Interactive Timeline
Cuba 1952-1959 Interactive Timeline


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Timothy Leary
Outlaw / Psychologist / Writer
Date Of Birth:
22 October 1920
Date Of Death:
31 May 1996
prostate cancer
Place Of Birth:
Springfield, Massachusetts
Best Known As:
The drug-taking professor who said "Turn on, tune in, drop out"
Timothy Leary was a psychologist whose research on the effects of LSD and other mind-altering drugs made him a symbol of the American counterculture movement. As a teacher at Harvard in 1960, Leary studied LSD's effect on volunteer grad students, and used it as psychotherapy for prison inmates. Although the grad students and prisoners liked it, university authorities didn't, and Leary left Harvard in 1963. By the height of the hippie movement, he was in California advocating the use of LSD, which had become illegal, and telling young people to "Turn on, tune in, drop out." President Richard Nixon called him the "most dangerous man in America," but Leary had become a celebrity, hanging out with stars like Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. Jailed in 1972 for marijuana possession, Leary escaped from jail and made it to Algiers, where he tried to get asylum from Eldridge Cleaver. Leary was eventually arrested in Afghanistan and brought back to serve time. He was released in 1976 and headed for Hollywood, and in the 1980s changed his focus from psychedelic drugs to technology. In the 1990s he was a champion of cyberculture as the future of mankind; when diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995, Leary announced he would Webcast his final days. He died in his sleep in 1996 and a portion of his remains were launched into orbit in 1997, in a vial described as "the size of a lipstick holder," attached to a Spanish satellite.
Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.
See also:


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Our community needs to concentrate on alternative, renewable, affordable sources of energy. Homer property owners should not subsidize Enstar's natural gas line, therefore I object to the Homer Natural Gas Special Assessment District.
Enstar is banking on the city of Homer property owners to pay for their gas delivery line. The city of Homer is trying to force property owners to pay for this gas line whether they will actually hook up to it or not. I believe that Enstar should buy its own gas line delivery system like any other ethical utility company and only charge customers who chose to hook up to their fuel line, not every property owner in the city limits.
Personally I cannot afford the conversion costs of my propane heaters, appliances and plumbing lines in my home. The future prospects of this fuel source are questionable until a nearby discovery is made. Until then, this gas line project is dangerously risky for the city of Homer to get involved with. This gas line is not an ethical, reasonable or affordable source of energy for the people of Homer.
Collectively we should pass on this bad deal Enstar has offered. Property owners, please remember to turn in your Statement of Objection to the city hall by 5 p.m. Friday. To make this bad deal go away, 1,900 property owners need to object.
Sincerely and without hesitation,
Meg Mitchell


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Welcome University of Oregon academics, students, instructors and researchers as the May 2018 Paradigma Software Outreach program beneficiaries.
This is a school based program allowing academics to receive free academic licenses of key Paradigma Software products to help them achieve more in their computer science and research projects.
During the month of May, 2018, academics, students, instructors and researchers at University of Oregon can get a free license for Valentina Studio Pro Academic (regularly $119.99) using their University of Oregon email address. A single free license is available per person.
More information on the Academic Outreach Program is available through the link below.


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Of Sir Alex Ferguson's many faults, lack of patience is not among them. The great Scot has, according to recent analysis, the most stable squad in European football, with players remaining at Old Trafford almost six years on average. That lengthy tenure is aided no doubt by Paul Scholes', Ryan Giggs' and Gary Neville's longevity but the point remains – when it comes to some players, Ferguson has almost limitless patience.
In many ways Ferguson's approach is anathema to the modern game, where high annual turnover of players and coaches is commonplace at many leading clubs. Yet, the flip side of this undoubtedly virtuous coin is the Scot's seemingly unwavering loyalty to players that many supporters find insufferably frustrating.
Ferguson's faith in Darron Gibson, Anderson and Gabriel Obertan, as three midfield examples, is based not on an aggregate of excellence but faith that each will come good in time. That they may, even if the evidence is scant to date.
Discounting any player as not fit for purpose comes with risk of course. The oft-repeated example of Darren Fletcher's rise from fan pariah, cruelly dubbed 'the Scottish player', to an essential cog in the Red machine is now something of an Old Trafford cliché. Yet the 26-year-old Scot's story is instructive – even those that do not posses natural talent in abundance can carve out a niche if Ferguson's patience and the player's will are in sync.
Expectation plays a hefty part in supporters' reaction of course. Fletcher cost the club little, with the player not commanding a transfer fee and serving United on eminently reasonable wages until the Scot signed a new four-year contract in 2008. The same can be said of Gibson, who graduated through United's academy, and even Obertan, whose £3.5 million fee made little impression on the club's mammoth debt.
Anderson, by contrast, attracts a different level of expectation – and therefore criticism – having joined the club as Brazil's 'next Ronaldinho' for more than £19 million in summer 2007.
But in each Ferguson has shown faith beyond concrete evidence; perhaps even beyond reason. While Anderson's undoubted natural talent comes to the fore only sporadically, it is hard to recall any occasion on which Gibson or Obertan have truly impressed. Certainly against the highest level of opponent.
Anderson's pace with the ball is a boon but the Brazilian's impact is continually limited by horrendous passing statistics that in aggregate over three seasons barely reach 70 per cent successful completion. That the player neither scores nor creates goals has led to some fans to acerbically labelling the former Porto midfielder as United's "fake Brazilian."
Meanwhile, Obertan continues to run into blind alleys on the rare occasion he is selected for United's first team. The French under-21 international appears to have little to no knowledge of the game's mechanics. That nothing is left to chance at United, with players drilled in every small detail of gameplay and tactics, makes the wingers progress over the past 18 months – or lack thereof – all the more frustrating.
Then there is Gibson, who sank to new depths this week with two performances of such casual ineptitude as to call into question the very sanity of his selection. The Irishman, who lacks pace, touch, skill, vision or seemingly the ability to pick out a teammate with the simplest of passes, can at least shoot. Whether the Derry Dynamo's long-range efforts actually work the goalkeeper is another point altogether.
Ferguson though is unlikely to give up on the trio with any speed. Indeed, the 69-year-old United manager believes that Anderson is the long-term successor to Scholes, despite the Brazilian lacking almost all the attributes that have made the flame-haired midfielder one of the finest midfielders of his or any generation. Time will presumably tell whether Anderson inflicts damage to United's ambitions or aids them.
Whether Obertan and Gibson face a different fate is as yet unknown. The Frenchman is no closer to a first team berth than when he arrived at the club the summer before last. That Obertan has seen so little first team football, even with Giggs ageing, Antonio Valencia injured and Park Ji-Sung having an inconspicuous season, is relevant. Gibson's one Champions and three Premier League starts this season tell the tale of a player who has seemingly progressed not one iota in five seasons on the fringe of United's first team squad.
Each is tied to the club in the long-term though. Anderson signed a new four-and-a-half year contract in December that will keep the 22-year-old at Old Trafford until 2015. Meanwhile, Gibson is tied to the club until summer 2012, as is Obertan.
On current evidence Anderson will continue to frustrate until the penny finally drops. If it ever does. Obertan has natural talent if not the know-how to use it. Yet, with the least natural talent of the trio there seems little prospect, even from the most blinkered of supporters, of Gibson ever making a success of his time at Old Trafford.
If Fletcher's rise to Old Trafford stardom was hugely surprising from those who followed the Scot with increasing frustration from 2003 to 2006, then a similar path taken by Gibson will be little short of miraculous. More talented players than the Irishman have left United, as Giuseppe Rossi and Ryan Shawcross might attest.
Fortunately for the 23-year-old Ferguson is of a more patient bent than most.


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This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer. After another week of dramatic developments and changing dynamics, the Republican presidential candidates renew their series of debates tonight. This time at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. For the first time, the debate will be focused on foreign policy and national security, topics relegated to secondary status in previous meetings. But other hot topics are likely to intrude, and for a preview we turn to NPR's senior Washington editor, Ron Elving. Welcome, Ron.
RON ELVING, BYLINE: Good to be with you, Linda.
WERTHEIMER: Now, this is the 11th debate, I think. Lots of things seemed to have switched around even just this week. The latest CBS news polls shows a three-way race. Herman Cain leading, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich tied. That is to say Newt Gingrich is in the top three, not Rick Perry.
ELVING: That's right. And the lowest of the top three has about twice the support that Rick Perry has. We should probably point out the Mr. Undecided is actually running second just immediately behind Herman Cain, statistical tie with Herman Cain, so a lot of people have sort of withdrawn from the choosing and are waiting to have their minds made by up something that will happen between now and the event they're planning to vote in.
WERTHEIMER: So if you believe that the last debate, which was on Wednesday, had a material effect on Rick Perry's chances of getting the nomination, is it possible that this debate could rearrange the chairs again?
ELVING: It's conceivable. Rick Perry could hit some kind of a mythical home run, perhaps a grand slam. Not quite clear how the bases would get loaded for that to happen, but he could possibly make some sort of a comeback of that nature. We also could see Herman Cain sprout new wings as a foreign policy expert. He has eschewed that particular area of knowledge up to now, or we could see Newt Gingrich, who is certainly going to attract a lot of new attention from the other candidates I suspect, and the moderators. We could see Newt Gingrich either rise or fall depending on his performance.
WERTHEIMER: The focus tonight is on foreign policy or national security. I would think that Newt Gingrich would have a bit of a leg up there.
ELVING: He certainly has more experience with the issues than most of these candidates, but we also expect to see Mitt Romney strutting his knowledge of detail on this. He has put out a detailed view of his foreign policy at the Citadel in a speech this fall. That's kind of a traditional for Republicans to go to talk about national security, and we can expect some of the other candidates to point out where they differ.
WERTHEIMER: Now, this idea of having a debate on foreign policy and national security; in the days gone by, this would have seemed like a perfectly normal thing for Republican candidates to do because they had two big issues with which they were always leading the Democrats - taxes and national security.
ELVING: That's right. And even as recently as 2008, John McCain wanted to talk about foreign policy whenever he could, to take credit for the surge in Iraq that seemed to be improving the situation there. And in 2004, this was the great debate between John Kerry and George W. Bush, with John Kerry saying we couldn't go on with an individual kind of, if you will, cowboy diplomacy or cowboy foreign policy, and George W. Bush, belittling the idea that we would take some sort of international test before we would act to defend our own interest.
WERTHEIMER: Do you think the president is vulnerable on foreign policy, as he's had considerable success in a lot of these areas.
ELVING: To some degree he's vulnerable. His numbers are not overwhelming on foreign policy as a whole. The NBC-Wall Street Journal poll this week had 52 percent of the people approving of his foreign policy. That's good, not great. And the Iraq policy, specifically getting out of Iraq by the end of this year, that's approved by more than 70 percent. So this is not his area of greatest vulnerability.
That would of course be the economy. He's probably better off making his case to the American people on foreign policy than on any other aspect of his administration right now, especially if you're talking about Independents as opposed to hardcore Democrats.
WERTHEIMER: So do we assume these candidates will keep trying to drag the discussion back to the United States where President Obama is the most vulnerable?
ELVING: No doubt they will. They want to get back to talking about jobs and growth. They're going to want to talk about cutting taxes. That remains the strongest element of their attack.
WERTHEIMER: Ron Elving is NPR's senior Washington editor. Thank you.
ELVING: Thank you, Linda. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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I am having trouble to access the filesystem on my phone (it's a samsung / google galaxy nexus). It just worked in previous version of Ubuntu, but now it appears empty whether it is mounted with MTP or PTP. I have followed a few guides on building and reinstalling libmtp etc without success. This answer did not help for me, either, and gMTP just hangs when I click the connect button. I know I can use wifi e.g. airdroid to access my photos, but this is too slow and a bit clumsy for me, and downloaded photos lose their original timestamps.
Has anyone had success connecting to this phone on 12.04 ??


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XC-Team USA
Jay Gordon
Hello fellow pilots my name Jay Gordon. Started flying in 2006 was instantly hooked and have not looked back. Still look at the sky in whole different way since those first flights. Every chance I get I like to spend it in the air either it be a small flying site or a big flying site. Living in Northern California there is a XC League competition that is awesome fun along with great challenges. The XC league and Air- Cross U-sport2 has made me a better pilot and confidence to enter other Comps. The great thing is that the Northern/Southern California leagues are growing yearly with many newcomers to the world of XC paragliding.


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By Ellen Fannon, DVM
One of the most common problems I see on a daily basis in my practice is itching dogs. This is because an itching animal usually gets the owner's attention. Persistent chewing and scratching is not only frustrating to the owner, but miserable for the pet as well.
The two most common causes of chronic itching in dogs are external parasites, such as fleas, and allergies. Some people are surprised to find that animals can have allergies just like people, but unlike the hay fever symptoms people experience, allergies in pets are a common cause of chronic skin and ear problems. Animals with allergies often scratch, lick their feet, rub their face or belly on the ground, and chew at themselves.
Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common skin disease in dogs. For these animals, diligent, year-round flea control is the essential key to keeping them comfortable. I wish I had a nickel for every client who has told me he never sees fleas on his dog. These people are in "flea-nial." Just because you don't see fleas doesn't mean your pet doesn't have a flea allergy. For a flea-hypersensitive dog, just one flea bite can cause a reaction, and the adult flea may have taken its' blood meal and be long gone. Scratching, chewing, and hair loss over the lower part of the body is often an indicator of a flea allergy. Flea allergies may lead to secondary conditions, such as bacterial and yeast infections due to skin irritation.
Fortunately, there are many newer, efficient products available to help fight the battle of the flea. I personally like the oral products, such as once-a-month Nexgard or Comfortis, and once-every-three months Bravecto. Trifexis is another oral flea control product in conjunction with monthly heartworm prevention. I also like the Seresto collar, which lasts seven to eight months. There are many other good products on the market, and newer ones are coming out all the time. I would recommend staying away from some of the over-the-counter products, which are often not as effective, and in some cases have caused toxicity in pets. Also beware of internet pharmacies unless they carry the VIPPS®(Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) Seal. You can visit the VIPPS® website to find legitimate pharmacies.
Remember the environment (house and yard) must also be treated for fleas to ensure optimal flea control. Flea eggs can survive for long periods of time under harsh conditions, so it is possible to have a flea infestation in an area where there have been no pets for several months. I prefer to use a professional exterminator for the environment, as they have access to the latest and safest treatments and their work is guaranteed. However, there are also products available for do-it-yourself pest control.
If you need further reason to practice excellent flea control on your pets, fleas can carry diseases infectious to humans, such as Bartonella, the causative agent of Cat scratch disease. Bartonella has also been associated with inflammation of the heart muscle and joints, and can be confused with other immune-mediated and chronic inflammatory diseases. Fleas can also carry diseases such as plague and typhus.
The second most common cause of itching in dogs is allergies. Dogs can be allergic to the same things as people, such as grass, pollen, mold, weeds, trees, dust, mites, and food. Allergies may be seasonal or year-round. Some people find that their dog never had allergies until they moved to a different part of the country, or even to a new home in the same area. Secondary problems such as bacterial and yeast infections, as well as chronic ear infections are common with allergies, and unlikely to clear up unless the allergy is controlled.
Fortunately there are several effective ways to manage allergies. Allergy testing can be performed in animals, just as in humans. If there is a dermatologist in your area, intradermal skin testing is the gold standard for identifying environmental allergens. If not, blood samples can be sent to a lab to look for antibodies against allergens. After identifying the specific substances to which the dog is allergic, allergy shots can be given in order to desensitize the animal to those offending substances. Recently, an oral allergy serum has become available, making it much easier for pet owners. Desensitizing a dog to allergies may take several months, and there is a potential to make the pet worse while undergoing treatment, so careful monitoring and record keeping is important. The initial expense can be high, but considering the amount of money clients spend on an itching pet over its lifetime, the cost is often worth it.
Two newer products which have worked well in allergic dogs are Apoquel tablets and Cytopoint injections. These both work to block the inflammatory response causing itching. Apoquel is generally given daily, whereas Cytopoint is given every 4-8 weeks. The good news is that these products do not have the side effects associated with steroids. The bad news is they can be expensive. However, to a lot of owners with itchy dogs the cost is more than worth it to give their pet relief. Steroids are very effective in controlling itching and they are inexpensive, but should not be used for long term control of allergies. Side effects of steroids include increased drinking, urinating, and appetite, weight gain, and increased risk of infections.
Antihistamines, such as Benadryl can often help control mild itching, but may not be strong enough if the pet is thoroughly miserable. Bathing with medicated shampoo, antihistamine or cortisone shampoo, or oatmeal shampoo can often provide temporary relief from itching. It is best to check with your veterinarian as to which type of shampoo is best for your pet's condition. I often find that people spend a lot of money at pet stores on shampoos which aren't right for what the animal needs. Other topicals to help control itching are available, such as conditioners, mousses, and sprays. Omega-3 fatty acids are also helpful for a number of skin problems.
Food allergies are much less common than environmental allergies, making up only about 4% of skin allergies. Because food allergies are diagnosed and managed differently, I will address that issue in the next column.


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Although I had no intention of becoming a Future Farmer of America, I spent my first two years of high school taking courses in vocational agriculture (its just what we do in Texas). During the winter months wed forgo the usual sheep shearing and hog castrating to work on projects more typically found in a shop class. While we were allowed free rein to rebuild truck motors or craft wooden benches, I mostly spent my time in the corner dreaming nerdy dreams.
A course catalog from Rice University had inexplicably found its way into the classroom and I treated it as a travel guide to the strange and exciting intellectual world of college. Each day Id sit there, fantasizing about taking classes (linguistics! anthropology!) that didnt require dealing with a band saw or hydraulic fluid.
At the time, the ivory towers of Rice seemed a million miles away from the sawdust-covered shop floor of Clarksville High. And for me they were. I wasnt smart enough to get into Rice (those kids were really smart) so I ended up getting a college degree while taking a long tour through the world of skilled manual labor"laying plumbing with irrigators, fixing pump-jacks with oilfield electricians, remodeling houses with carpenters, and making handbrakes with factory workers. The capstone of my career as a jack-of-all tradesman was a fifteen-year stint in the Marines as an aviation electrician.
During those years I met plenty of people who found such work intellectually engaging. I just wasnt one of them. I wanted to work with ideas. My primary ambition was to one day have a job that included air-conditioning and excluded having to scrub my hands with Lava soap. My secondary goal was to work with people who crafted abstract concepts rather than wood and metal.
My career life now exceeds my wildest expectations. Although Im still a member of the proletariat, I now rub virtual shoulders with a broad range of intellectual and cultural elites (linguists! anthropologists!). These people read books and articles about ideas"including books and articles about how intellectually fulfilling manual labor can be.
Matthew B. Crawfords Shop Class as Soul Craft is just such a book and his New York Times Magazine article, The Case for Working With Your Hands, is just such an article (the book expanded on a 2006 essay in The New Atlantis ). While you arent likely to find them on your plumbers bookshelf or your cabinetmakers workbench, you will find them on the reading lists of many of your conservative, academically inclined friends.
Crawford, who now makes a living repairing motorcycles, presents a compelling case for the intrinsic value of trade work. He forcefully argues (though its disappointing that such an argument even needs to be made) that manual labor requires intellect and creativity and can be both profitable and satisfying. Both the book and the article are worth reading, though his observations tend to be rather obvious (plumbers are well-paid and white-collar jobs can be dull) and as dry as an academic whitepaper (he used to work for a Washington, D.C.-based think tank). Of course, the manner is fitting since Crawford writes not for his fellow mechanics but his former grad school chums.
As every review and article about the book has taken pains to point out, Crawford has a Ph.D. in political thought from the University of Chicago. Presumably, we are expected to find this biographical fact surprising"the greasemonkey is a political philosopher!"but such a hook is to be expected. Who would publish a book on the value of manual labor if it had been written by someone who did nothing more than fix Harleys?
This is not a knock at Crawford who, from the evidence he presents in interviews, appears to be a genuinely interesting and amiable chap. He deserves praise for the insights he provides in his writings. But the buzz about the book is not really about the book. Its about Crawford, or rather the idea that Crawford embodies: the intellectual who realizes an authentic and fulfilling life working as a manual laborer.
Like the agrarian who lives in Manhattan and reads Backwoods Home Magazine , the would-be mechanic gets to identify with Crawfords authentic vocational turn without actually having to scrape the brake grease from under his own fingernails.
Manual laborers"who tend to have more traditional fantasies, like escaping to a life of ease on a tropical beach"will be amused by the workaholic knowledge workers who dream not of leisure but of trading their cubicle for the shop floor. They should not be surprised, nonetheless, since white-collar workers have long romanticized about appropriating blue-collar tropes. Academics and middle managers who want to associate themselves with the virtues of manual work are like the hipsters who wear trucker caps and drink Pabst Blue Ribbon.
While this sort of fantasy is harmless, a more highly idealized vision of manual work can lead some to believe life really is better on the farm or on the pavement of the garage. Its one thing to dream about moving to a quiet, rural small town. But actually making such a change means neighbors less like the agrarian supermodel Wendell Berry and more like Hank Kimball, the county agent in Green Acres .
Its not that these good country workers and manual laborers are dumb "far from it"its just that the mental engagement in full-time labor is not the same as the intellectual fulfillment that comes from a devoted life of the mind. Manual labor tends to rely on dexterity skills and concrete intuitions, while knowledge work tends to rely on language facility and concepts in the abstract. While there is some overlap between the two types of vocation, they are not interchangeable.
The differences are most profound in the way that members of the two professional groups talk about their work. There is an almost insurmountable language barrier between manual laborers and word workers. For example, my favorite outfit promoting agrarian localist thought, Front Porch Republic, once dedicated an entire week to analyzing Crawfords book. Not surprisingly, their discussions are nothing like what youd hear at the water cooler at your local garage. Their articles tend to read like this section, from an intelligent and thoughtful reflection by Susan McWilliams:
It seems that our national inclination to value knowledge work " at least as it is currently practiced " over the manual trades may, almost paradoxically, be disconnecting us from some of the most meaningful human knowledge, which is knowledge how to use speech with others to seek the truth. So to revive respect for working done with hands, as Crawford does here, may do more than that: It may revive respect for talking done with heart.
As your favorite motorcycle mechanic (the one that didnt attend an elite college) might say, What in the world is she talking about? Such discussions are common on sites like Front Porch Republic and First Things , where people spend their working lives in idea factories. But as a general rule, people who work in bike shops and have names like Joe (which, as in my case, is not short for Joseph, but short so that it fits the little oval patch sewn on Dickies work shirts) dont talk like that. As even Crawfords own shop mate said about him, Matt talked constantly about ideas while working on bikes . . . Sometimes it became hard for us to get any work done. Indeed, such philosophical musings are often antithetical to the practical work"and earthy chit-chat"associated with real manual work. The work of the hands requires a different type of thinking than the leisure-induced musings of philosophers.
Of course theres nothing wrong with wanting to talk about ideas, even the idea of how manual labor can lead to an intellectually fulfilling life"a theory I fully endorse. But the ideas about work proffered by agrarian academics and garage-dreaming cubicle workers are hardly the same as those of real farmers and trade workers. If we ask manual laborers to speak for themselves, we may find that they view manual work as work and shop class as a place for crafting stuff , not souls.
Joe Carter is Web Editor of First Things and the co-author of How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History's Greatest Communicator . His previous articles for On the Square can be found here .
Matthew B. Crawford, Shopclass as Soulcraft (book)
Matthew B. Crawford, Shopclass as Soulcraft (essay in The New Atlantis )
Matthew B. Crawford, The Case for Working With Your Hands
Susan McWilliams, Working with Words


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Hi all
Can you tell me of some proxy servers or patches for those to check the traffic that passes through them for viruses . I have heard of something like this for squid but I wanrt to gather more opinions.
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Cantel Medical Board Of Directors Authorizes Regular Semiannual Dividend
LITTLE FALLS, N.J., June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CANTEL MEDICAL CORP. (NYSE: CMN) announced today that its Board of Directors authorized a regular semiannual cash dividend of $0.0467 per outstanding share of the Company's Common Stock. The dividend is payable on July 31, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 17, 2012.
Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMN) is a leading provider of infection prevention and control products in the healthcare market. Our products include water purification equipment, sterilants, disinfectants and cleaners, specialized medical device reprocessing systems for endoscopy and renal dialysis, disposable infection control products primarily for dental and GI endoscopy markets, dialysate concentrates and other dialysis supplies, hollow fiber membrane filtration and separation products for medical and non-medical applications, and specialty packaging for infectious and biological specimens. We also provide technical maintenance for our products and offer compliance training services for the transport of infectious and biological specimens. For further information, visit the Cantel website at http://www.cantelmedical.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the risks detailed in Cantel's filings and reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are only predictions, and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected or anticipated.
SOURCE Cantel Medical Corp.


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This "day in the life" piece comes from Dors of Whatever Works. Dors is a new bloggie friend of mine who lives in the UK and recently started a new job. I liked how brutally honest this recent post of hers was. It takes guts to be so candid and publicly admit that your new career isn't all rainbows and unicorns:
The first day of work is like your first day of school...at a new school. You are hoping you are going to like the classes, the teachers and your classmates. But in the back of your mind you know damn well that you are just going to have to study a lot of things you don't want to, that all the time that school consumes could be spent doing something so much more fun (like sleeping!) and that you're probably going to dislike a lot of people there.
Same for work, just substitute classmates for colleagues, teaches for bosses, studying for actually working.
Yes, today was my first day. I woke up at 6 am. 6 am! It should be illegal. Against human rights or something. And it is so cold in the morning I could see my own breath (come on, it's spring!), then the train, changing the train, catching the bus. And I managed to arrive there late.
Right. I spent all day long in front of the computer, with my boss by my side, guiding me through the painful process of getting to know their computer software. I was looking forward to every little break I could get. Drinking water, coffee, a blessed soul even brought donuts for everyone today. And lunch time.
It was so much to take in, and the more I did my tasks the more I got confused. So.many.little.details. My under-eye circles got deeper and darker as each hour went by. I finally finished my first daily dose of torture. I caught the bus home, then the train. I slept in the train. I never sleep on trains, buses or airplanes. But I did today, I was exhausted, I even set my alarm so I wouldn't miss my stop.
I came home at 6:30 pm. More than 12 hours of my day. Wasted.
Yes, wasted, because why the hell would my life be improved or become any more significant if I learn how to use a company's computer software? Am I really helping people the way I intended (once upon a time) by processing wine orders and organizing deliveries?
I think some people are not meant to have a boss and a routine and I am one of those. Some will say I'm lazy or spoiled, or both. However I truly think that we limit our life so much by having a stated time to even have lunch. We think of it as normal, but is it?
When I met those actors at the wine tasting I saw people brave enough to just do what they wanted. I envy them. I am a coward. I fear failure.
And if you tell me you love your job and you are extremely happy with it...Well, good for you. I hate you.
(Note: This was written out of tiredness and utter frustration. I do apologize.)
Ed. note: What about you, reader-friends? Are you satisfied with your current job? What would make it better? How important is job satisfaction to you? Have you ever asked "Is that all there is" after a 40-hour work week?


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CHAPTER 22: On the Faith on Those Invested With Subordinate Powers in War.
Commanders Extent of their engagements in binding the sovereign Exceeding their commission The opposite party bound by such engagements Power of commanders in war, or of magistrates with respect to those under their authority Generals cannot make peace, but may conclude a truce Extent of their authority in granting protection to persons and property Such engagements to be strictly interpreted Interpretation of capitulations accepted by generals Precautions necessary till the pleasure of the sovereign be known Promise to surrender a town.
I. ULPIAN reckons the agreements, entered into between the generals of opposite armies during the course of a war, among public conventions. So that after explaining the nature of the faith pledged by sovereign powers to each other, it will be proper to make a short inquiry into the nature of engagements made by subordinate authorities; whether those authorities bear a near approach to supreme power, as commanders in chief, or are removed to a greater distance from it. Caesar makes the following distinction between them, observing that the offices of commander and deputy are very different; the latter being obliged to act according to prescribed rules, and the former having unqualified discretion in matters of the highest importance.
II. The engagements of those invested with such subordinate powers are to be considered in a double point of view, whether they are binding upon the sovereign, or on y upon themselves. The former of these points has been already settled in a former part of this treatise, where it was shewn that a person is bound by the measures of an agent, whom he has appointed to act in his name, whether his intentions have been expressly named, or are only to be gathered from the nature of the employment. For whoever gives another a commission, gives him along with it every thing in his power that is necessary to the execution of it. So that there are two ways, in which persons acting with subordinate powers may bind their principals by their conduct, and that is, by doing what is probably thought to be contained in their commission, or apart from that, by acting according to special instructions, generally known, at least to those, with whom they treat.
III. There are other modes too, in which a sovereign may be bound by the previous act of his minister; but not in such a manner as to suppose the obligation owes its EXISTENCE to that action, which only gives occasion to its fulfilment. And there are two ways, in which this may happen, either by the consent of the sovereign, or by the very nature of the thing itself. His consent appears by his ratification of the act, either expressed or implied, and that is, where a sovereign has known and suffered a thing to be done, which can be accounted for upon no other motive but that of approval and consent.
The very nature and obligation of all contracts imply that one party is not to gain advantage by the loss of another. Or if advantage is expected from a contract, the contract must be fulfilled or the advantage abandoned. And in this sense, and no other, the proverbial expression, that whatever is beneficial is valid, is to be understood.
On the other hand a charge of injustice may fairly be brought against those, who condemn an engagement, yet retain the advantages, which they could not have had without it.
IV. It is necessary to repeat an observation made before, that a sovereign, who has given a commission to another, is bound by the conduct of that person, even though he may have acted contrary to his secret instructions, provided he has not gone beyond the limits of his ostensible, and public commission.
This was a principle of equity, which the Roman Praetor observed in actions brought against employers for the conduct of their agents or factors. An employer could not be made answerable for any act or measure of his factor, but such as was immediately connected with the business, in which he employed him. Nor could HE be considered as an appointed agent, with WHOM the public were apprized, by due notice, to make no contract If such notice was given, without having come to the knowledge of the contracting parties, the employer was bound by the conduct of the agent. If any one chuses to make a contract on certain conditions, or through the intervention of a third person, it is right and necessary for that person to observe the particular conditions on which he is employed.
From hence it follows that kings and nations are more or less bound by the conventions of their commanders in proportion as their laws, conditions, and customs, are more or less known. If the meaning of their intentions is not evident, conjecture may supply the place of evidence, as it is natural to suppose that any one employed would be invested with full powers sufficient to execute his commission.
A person acting in a subordinate capacity, if he has exceeded the powers of his commission will be bound to make reparation, if he cannot fulfil his engagement, unless he is prevented from doing so by some well known law.
But if he has been guilty of treachery also, in pretending to greater powers than he really possessed, he will be bound to repair the injury, which he has WILFULLY done, and to suffer punishment corresponding with his offence. For the first of these offences, his property is answerable, and on failure of that, his personal liberty: and in the latter case, his person or property, or both must be answerable according to the magnitude of the crime.
V. As a sovereign or his minister is always bound by every contract, it is certain the other party will also be bound by the engagement: nor can it be deemed imperfect. For in this respect there is a comparative equality between sovereign and subordinate powers.
VI. It is necessary to consider too what are the powers of subordinate authorities over those beneath them. Nor is there any doubt that a general may bind the army, and a magistrate, the inhabitants of a place by those actions, which are usually done by commanders, or magistrates, otherwise their consent would be necessary.
On the other hand, in engagements purely beneficial, the advantage shall be on the side of the inferior: for that is a condition comprehended in the very nature of power. Where there is any burdensome condition annexed it shall not extend beyond the usual limits in which authority is exercised; or if it does, it shall be at the option of the inferior to accept or refuse that condition.
VII. As to the causes and consequences of a war, it is not within the province of a general to decide them. For concluding and conducting a war are very different things, and rest upon distinct kinds of authority.
VIII. and IX. As to granting truces, it is a power which belongs not only to commanders in chief, but also to inferior commanders. And they may grant them for themselves, and the forces immediately under their command, to places which they are besieging or blockading: but they do not thereby bind other parts of the army. Generals have no right to cede nations, dominions, or any kind of conquests made in war. They may relinquish any thing of which a complete conquest has not been made: for towns frequently surrender on condition of the inhabitants being spared, and allowed to retain their liberty and property: cases, in which there is no time for consulting the will and pleasure of the sovereign. In the same manner, and upon the same principle this right is allowed to subordinate commanders, if it falls within the nature of their commission.
X. As commanders, in all such engagements, are acting in the name of others, their resolutions must not be interpreted so strictly as to bind their sovereigns to greater obligations than they intended to incur, nor at the same time to prove prejudicial to the commanders themselves for having done their duty.
XI. An absolute surrender implies that the party so capitulating submits to the pleasure and discretion of the conqueror.
XII. In ancient conventions a precaution was usually added, that they would be ratified, if approved of by the Roman people. So that if no ratification ensued, the general was bound no further than to be answerable for any advantage that might have accrued to himself.
XIII. Commanders having promised to surrender a town, may dismiss the garrison.
[Translator's note: The XXIII Chapter of the Original, on Private Faith in War, is omitted in the translation.]
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Boy Scouts Were Pressured by Corporate Sponsors to Change Policy on Gays
Pressure from corporate sponsors may be the critical factor in a decision by the Boy Scouts of America to change policy to include homosexual scouts, volunteers and leaders.
When a representative from BSA met with Frank Page, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, to discuss the proposed change, Page was told that BSA is "wilting under pressure from some of their corporate sponsors ...," Page explained in a statement to The Christian Post.
The Human Rights Campaign, a pro-gay rights advocacy organization, told BSA's corporate sponsors that it would downgrade their "non-discrimination ratings" if they continued to give money to BSA, according to NBC News.
According to a review of corporate giving to BSA in 2010 conducted last September by The American Independent, 23 of the top 50 corporate foundations gave at least $10,000 to BSA. Those sponsors included Bank of America, Intel, UPS, U.S. Bank, Verizon and Wells Fargo. The largest donation in 2010, $700,000, came from Intel. Some donations were directly from the company. Other donations were through matching funds programs in which company employees choose the charity and the company would match a certain amount for every dollar given by the employee.
The New Jersey Star Ledger reported today, in an editorial supporting the Scouts' decision, that Intel announced last September it would stop donations to the Scouts unless it stopped excluding gays. A month later, pharmaceutical giant Merck followed suit. UPS announced last month that it would no longer give to BSA because of its ban on gay scouts, volunteers and leaders.
The BSA website lists some of their current corporate sponsors, including AT&T, Bass Pro Shops and ExxonMobil.
BSA's national board includes two corporate CEOs -- Randall Stephenson of AT&T and James Turley of Ernst & Young -- who have said they will try to end the ban on gay scouts, volunteers and leaders. Stephenson is supposed to be the board's next chairman.
BSA announced last July that, after conducting a two-year review, it would continue its ban on gay scouts, volunteers and leaders. At the time, the Scouts said that continuing the ban was "absolutely the best policy for the Boy Scouts."
Last week, though, The Christian Post learned that BSA was considering reversing this decision at its executive meeting in Irving, Texas, next week. The new policy would allow each Boy Scout chapter to decide whether or not to allow gay scouts, volunteers or leaders.