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Arcadis via AP
An artist's conception from the Dutch engineering firm Arcadis illustrates its proposal to build a barrier in the Verrazano Narrows between New York's Brooklyn borough and Staten Island, shielding the Upper New York Bay. This barrier would be supplemented by two smaller barriers, one between Staten Island and New Jersey and the other on the East River. Experts say the vast destruction wreaked by the storm surge in New York could have been prevented with a sea barrier of the type that protects major cities in Europe.
Marine scientist Malcolm Bowman has been warning since before Hurricane Katrina that the New York metro area was susceptible to a catastrophic storm surge, but the fact that superstorm Sandy proved him right doesn't make him feel any better.
"It was all predictable, and unfortunately it all happened," Bowman told me today. "But then it got worse."
Bowman's nightmare scenario, laid out in a 2005 report, foresaw a 12-foot storm surge that devastated low-lying neighborhoods in the New York metro area. When Hurricane Sandy was approaching landfall on the New Jersey coastline on Monday, the National Hurricane Center predicted that the storm surge could amount to somewhere between 6 and 11 feet.
The tide that pushed into New York's Battery Park was higher than any of those figures: 13.7 feet in height.
The results were catastrophic: Subway and highway tunnels between Manhattan and Brooklyn were flooded. Power stations were swamped, leaving millions of people without electricity. The water washed over runways, rail yards and roads, disrupting traffic for days. Whole towns were submerged in New Jersey. Rising water levels affected operations at half a dozen nuclear power plants in the region. The estimated toll: At least 46 deaths in the United States, and an estimated $20 billion or more in property damage.
"This has been a knockout punch," Bowman said. "This is a wakeup call."
A 14-foot storm surge rushed into lower Manhattan, shorting out the ConEd power station and destroying cars and homes. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.
Storm surges have hit the region before — most notably with the deadly nor'easter of December 1992, and to a lesser extent with Hurricane Irene last year. But Sandy was much deadlier.
"What happened on Monday night is that the maximum surge occurred at high tide, and it also happened to be a full moon," Bowman said. "All those events came to coincide, and that's what made it so bad. If the storm had hit six hours later, it would have been low tide, and there would have been less damage. Timing is everything."
But in Bowman's view, it's not just a question of bad luck. "Climate change is real," he said. "We've had these two extreme events, two years in a row. It's time to think about levees. This is what the Europeans have done."
Bowman and his colleagues at the Stony Brook Storm Surge Research Group have been calling for the construction of a network of levees and gates that could block the gargantuan push of water that accompanies superstorms like Sandy.
The project would start with two or three storm surge barriers, modeled after the systems that have been built on the Thames River in England, or on waterways in the Netherlands. Bowman said three such systems are already protecting Stamford, Conn.; New Bedford, Mass.; and Providence, R.I.
The best locations for the New York region's first barriers would be at the Outer Barrier and across the Upper East River, Bowman said. "They would cost in the range of $5 billion or $10 billion each," he said. "That sounds like a lot of money, but you wait until you hear what it will cost to bring the city back."
Watch a lecture by Stony Brook University's Malcolm Bowman on tsunami hazards and storm surges.
Up to now, New York's response to flood threats has been to build smaller-scale barriers around facilities to make them more resilient to flooding. A multibillion-dollar project to create a storm surge defense system hasn't been on the agenda. "The city has been very polite, and they agree that in the long term it will become a necessity," Bowman said. "But for now they say, not yet. They're focusing on resilience, solutions to small problems."
That strategy will almost certainly change in the post-Sandy era. During a Tuesday news conference, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo acknowledged that it's time to upgrade the city's infrastructure for the superstorms to come.
"Going forward we are going to have to anticipate these types of extreme weather patterns," CNBC quoted him as saying. "And we have to think about how we redesign the system so that this doesn't happen again."
That won't happen overnight.
"What has to happen is, either Congress or the city of New York needs to put in a request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and say we need to do a feasibility study," Bowman said. "We've done it on the academic level, but now we need to bring in the corps. ... We could be studying this for the next 10 years, but we better get on with it."
More about the science of Sandy:
- Subway rats may flood NYC streets
- How Sandy turned into a superstorm
- Climate experts worry about storms to come
- NBC News' coverage of superstorm Sandy
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.


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Therapy Services – Care Team and Locations
Meet our team of experienced physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists, and see our clinic locations.
Make an appointment
To schedule an appointment, sign in to My Penn State Hershey Health or call
Our facilities offer convenient parking.
Penn State Health Therapy Services
30 Hope Drive, Entrance B, Suite 1500
Hershey, PA 17033
Phone: 717-531-8070, option 2
Monday – Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Penn State: Bone and Joint Institute, Neuroscience Institute, Sports Medicine
1850 East Park Avenue, Suite 112
State College, PA 16803
Phone: 814-865-3566
Monday – Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Rehabilitative specialists in central Pennsylvania
Our physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists will work with you to restore function, increase mobility, and improve your quality of life.
Physical therapists
Physical therapists are licensed professionals who diagnose and treat people of all ages to help them improve or restore mobility, strength, and function. Physical therapists also help relieve pain through clinical techniques.
Our team has extensive experience examining patients, diagnosing conditions, and then preventing or treating issues that limit the body's ability to move and function in daily life.
Occupational therapists
Occupational therapists are skilled professionals who have studied human growth and development with a specific emphasis on the social, emotional, and physiological effects of illness and injury.
Occupational therapy helps people achieve independence in all facets of their lives, such as:
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Cooking
- Vocational needs
Speech-language pathologists
Speech-language pathologists work with patients to evaluate and diagnose problems with:
- Speech
- Language
- Cognitive-communication
- Swallowing

subset: commoncrawl


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Gov. Jerry Brown's ambitious tunnels designed to ship water partly underground to Southern California would be tall enough to comfortably fit an adult giraffe, wide enough for three freeway lanes and have ample room to carry enough water to serve 35,000 homes on a typical day.
But the barriers to Brown's project may be even more immense. There is the $14 billion price tag. Powerful state and federal environmental regulators have to be convinced. History has not been an ally. And those whose lives could be upended are defiant.
"Yes, this is big. But so is the problem," Brown said.
The two 35-mile-long tunnels would be laid out side-by-side, 150-feet under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta before connecting to an existing southbound aqueduct.
Construction and operational costs would be billed to those who stand to benefit the most: big users like the Metropolitan Water District, some cities near San Francisco and Central Valley irrigation districts that serve farmers.
Metropolitan has estimated ratepayers in San Diego County could see their bills go up by about $6 monthly and farmers, particularly avocado growers in North County, will also pay more.
The Brown administration has been methodically moving ahead with the "twin tunnels" project for some time, but a final design and environmental approvals are months away. A cost analysis is due April 22.
The forecast calls for a 2016 groundbreaking and 2026 ribbon-cutting.
Currently, powerful pumps push southbound water through the delta, a 1,100 maze of waterways and crop-rich islands. About two-thirds of the state's drinking water flow through the region.
Supporters say the tunnels would not draw any more water from the north than what has been made available historically. The project proposes a more efficient and environmentally friendly way by transporting supplies to farms, homes and businesses south of the delta and in San Diego, they say.
Court orders to protect fish have interrupted water deliveries, forcing farmers to leave land unplanted and heightened uncertainly in industries that count on large volumes of water, such as Silicon Valley computer chip-makers and biotech companies in San Diego.
To overcome those problems, the project includes new diversion points with better screens that would be located in a safer position so that massive fish kills would become a thing of the past. The older pumps would still be used, but not nearly as much, Brown's team says.
The new diversion also would be less at risk of earthquakes and flooding than many of the older levees scattered throughout the delta, they contend.
Critics say a new canal threatens to rob the delta of fresh water essential to the environment, farming and fishing. The project is also too expensive, they say, and offers no guarantees of surviving a catastrophic earthquake or other disasters.
The tunnels, along with accompanying habitat restoration initiatives, could also take farms out of production, slice through orchards and fields, and close access roads, they say.
The state should first conduct a thorough analysis of how much water can be safely exported, suggested Doug Hemly, sitting in his packing house office just a few yards away from the proposed project.
"Start with a consensus of how much water is (needed), then the remainder can be honestly declared surplus," said Hemly, whose family has farmed near the community of Hood since 1850. "I don't know anybody who isn't willing to see surplus water go south."
If water ever does start flowing south though the tunnels, Brown's project will take its place alongside other vast underground projects:
• The 31-mile Channel Tunnel, commonly known as the "Chunnel," connecting high-speed trains between Great Britain and France cost $21 billion and took six years to build before opening in 1994.
• The 3.6-mile Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) underwater tunnel connecting San Francisco and Oakland cost $180 million and took seven years before the first commuters climbed aboard in August 1973.
• The 16 miles of tunnels bored through the San Bernardino Mountains as part of the Metropolitan Water District's 44-mile, $1.2 billion project called the "Inland Feeder." The project, which connects to Diamond Valley Lake near Temecula, broke ground in 1997 and took 12 years to finish.
This is Brown's second bid for a new north-to-south conveyance. In 1982, during his first go-round as governor, voters overwhelmingly blocked the Peripheral Canal. Much of the opposition was fueled by fears in the north that the canal would drain the delta to benefit Southern California. Unlike the Peripheral Canal, the tunnels do not need voter approval.
The bitter ballot battle in 1982 left many convinced that a project was too toxic to try again. That sentiment was confirmed a few years later when lawmakers rejected what critics called "Duke's Ditch," a smaller canal promoted by Gov. George Deukmejian.
But three decades later, Brown is back, and so too is a vocal nemesis from those bygone days.
Delta opponents
"It's not only a plan to move water. It is a plan to change the delta. I see it as a transfer of wealth," says Rogene Reynolds, a Stockton Realtor whose family has farmed on an island in the region for five generations.
Time has not subdued Reynolds, who in July 1980 mounted a sit-in at Brown's office, demanding that he accept petitions urging him not to sign Senate Bill 200 — the legislation authorizing the Peripheral Canal.
Reynolds never did get the chance to make her case. Capitol police carried her out of the governor's reception area shortly after 2 a.m.
"He would not meet with us. He would not talk to us. He is doing the same thing now," she said.
Brown later signed the measure, sparking the eventually successful referendum to stop the canal — a campaign that still resonates with many farmers and fishermen throughout Northern California.
Reynolds remains in the thick of the fight as a member of Restore the Delta, a relentless crew fronting the campaign against the twin tunnels and the state's broader $4 billion delta improvement program.
Reynolds says the state plans will do more harm than good, taking valuable fresh water from a delta already having saltwater intrusion problems and potentially depressing an already troubled local economy.
Just as importantly, ratepayers and taxpayers will pay the bills, she said.
"Every penny that will go to pay for interest in those bonds is a penny that cannot go to schools, does not build a highway," Reynolds said.
What are the alternatives?
The San Diego County Water Authority and San Diego Mayor Bob Filner are urging the state and federal governments to take a much closer look at a smaller, single-tunnel project and prioritize other programs to increase regional supplies, from storage to conservation.
The alternative approach is being pushed by a broad-based coalition of environmentalists and water agencies.
"On its face, might a smaller project be easier to permit? Might a smaller project be less likely to draw opposition and lawsuits?" asked Dennis Cushman, the authority's assistant general manager.
"If the answers to both of those are true, might the smaller project be brought on line sooner? These are pivotal questions that the water authority and a number of other stakeholders want answers to."
The more vocal critic, Restore the Delta, also promotes a different approach. It wants the state to focus on providing more habitat in areas with reinforced levees, encourage southern agencies to develop their own local supplies, and better screen the existing pumps and adjust operations there to protect smelt and salmon.
Escondido avocado farmer Ben Holtz is one of those farmers being squeezed and who just wants to see a solution that creates reliable, affordable supplies.
"It's not just the lack of water. It's the affordability of water," said Holtz, whose annual water bill runs about $4,800 per acre of avocados — twice what he was paying 10 years ago.
"I am going to be out of business if the market price of avocados doesn't keep up with the cost of water," he said.
A similar story is told by Dan Errotabere, who farms in Fresno County and is subject to fluctuations in deliveries depending on fish numbers.
"The biggest unknown is whether the fish will show up at the pumps — on top of weather concerns," he said.
Errotabere said must make planting decisions long before spring, but that he won't know how much water he can count on until after the regulators determine the health of smelt and salmon.
That's why he leans toward the tunnels, Errotabere said.
"I don't know what else we're going to do," he said. "What we're doing today is not working."
What has changed since 1982?
California is a far different place than it was three decades ago. Obviously, there are more people — about 24 million in 1982 compared to nearly 38 million today.
Meanwhile, those who rely on water exports through the delta have built reservoirs, entered into historic water transfers (Imperial Irrigation District to San Diego County is one), and adopted stringent conservation regulations.
Nevertheless, growth has escalated conflicts between competing human and environment demands on scarce resources. Risks to the plumbing network — earthquakes, sea level rise and floods — have also magnified. The existing system also is aging, demanding more upkeep.
A major change, supporters say, is today's tunnel proposal is less than half of the size of the original Peripheral Canal.
Still, the north-south divisions highlighted by the 1982 fight over the Peripheral Canal linger.
"We need a solution to the problems in the delta. Everyone recognizes that," said David Guy, executive director of the Northern California Water Association that represents hundreds of farmers.


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The likeness of the late Mike Kersey was painted on the spirit rock in front of Indian Land Middle School on Thursday, Sept. 13, in honor of his birthday, which was that day. Kersey, the high school's former wrestling coach and physical education teacher at Indian Land Elementary School, died Oct. 4, 2011, from injuries sustained in an all-terrain vehicle accident.
As motorists head out the door for their morning commute, coffee cups in hand, the sound most would like to hear is their favorite song playing on the radio.
Cammie Heath said she hoped for this moment and now it's become a reality.
City Council voted unanimously at its Tuesday, Sept. 11, meeting to appoint Heath as the city of Lancaster's new court administrator. She succeeds Darlene Whitley, who retired earlier this year.
Heath, who served as interim court administrator the past few months, has been with the city for nearly 11 years, working as an associate municipal judge.
Her appointment as court administrator took effect immediately.
A commission charged with oversight of the state's universities and colleges has ranked the University of South Carolina Lancaster as the most successful two-year campus in the state.
According to a summary of college and university graduation rates prepared by the S.C. Commission on Higher Education (SC CHE), USCL scored a success rate of 66.9 percent.
A Lancaster sporting goods store was closed Thursday. Sept. 13, after it was involved in a head-on collision with a driverless pickup truck.
The accident, at Hibbett Sports in the Lancer Center on S.C. 9 Bypass West, occurred just before noon as store manager Kayla Williams and employee Samantha Geiger assisted customers on what, until then, had been a routine day.
KERSHAW – The melody of the "Star-Spangled Banner" belted from Gordon Hann's trumpet in a way that suggested strength and pride.
Those within range stood at attention and listened intently as small American flags flapped slightly in the mild wind.
While Hann's musical notes spoke of freedom, the circle formed by the people on hand at Kershaw's Stevens Park represented the type of unity that event organizers had in mind.
A Great Falls man remained hospitalized at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 11, a few days after accidentally shooting himself in the stomach.
The 46-year-old man was found by deputies just after 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, inside an apartment in the 1000 block of Woodcreek Apartments, which is off Meeting Street, after the man's friend called 911, according to a Lancaster County Sheriff's Office incident report.
Roads have come a long way during the last century.
An Indian Land woman won big in the S.C. Education Lottery three weeks ago.
According to a lottery press release, the unidentified woman won $250,000 by matching the first five numbers of the Aug. 17 Mega Millions drawing – (8-20-24-35 56). Her chances of winning were 1 in 3,904,701.
The woman said she was parked in front of a convenience store when she realized she'd won and that her legs nearly failed her when she stepped out her car.
United Way of Lancaster County is seeking dedicated volunteers to staff a local income tax preparation program for low-income county residents.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA), an IRS program operated generally under the auspices of local United Way offices, aims to provide free tax preparation for individuals and families earning less than $50,000.
Copyright © 2019
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


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Patrick and Susan Perkinson announce the birth of their daughter, Bobbi Grace Perkinson born Feb. 27, 2013, at Baptist East Hospital in Louisville. She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 19 inches long.
Grandparents are Betty Smith, Columbia and the late Bobby Smith; Gary and Bonnie Perkinson, La Grange; and Pat Perkinson of New Castle.
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macaonghus needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 31 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
Small *print* ad for premium loose leaf tea retailer to feature in UK magazines such as The Week, The Lady, Country Life, Restaurant.
The ad should be for 1/16th A4, although it would be nice if it was easily expandable to 1/8th or 1/4. It will be in colour.
Tippyleaf sells tea online, our products are elegant, sophisticated, delicious. They range in price from about £4 to about £30 per pack. There are some similarities to fine wine and chocolate. We sell what is probably the biggest range in the UK.
- I would suggest a photo of one of our teas, but this is not compulsory. I am not the expert in how to create a good ad.
- I would suggest keeping the Tippyleaf colour palette, but again this is not compulsory.
- The ad should direct people to tippyleaf.com to buy tea.
- I don't want a picture of a cup of tea, I don't want generic photos.


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The latest sites to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List will be announced at the World Heritage Committee, held in Seville, Spain, from June 22-30. After a long period of work by the countries nominating the sites, and over a year of rigorous evaluations, IUCN, which is the independent advisory body on natural sites, will present its recommendations to the Committee for new natural World Heritage sites.
IUCN will also be reporting back on monitoring missions it conducted to nine World Heritage Sites, including two on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger
"Natural World Heritage sites are a front-line response to the global extinction crisis we are facing", says Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of IUCN. "Climate change, uncontrolled tourism, mining, and invasive species are some of the serious threats to our natural heritage. The global community must invest more in nature conservation in order to protect the world's biodiversity, before it is too late"
"Each year we witness some World Heritage sites under new and serious threats, but Governments are often unwilling to have these sites recognised as being in danger", says Tim Badman, IUCN's Special Advisor on World Heritage. "The danger list should be seen as a positive conservation tool, intended to help tackle the problems a site is facing and mobilise international support, not as a black mark for countries."
"The 199 natural World Heritage sites include some of the planet's most important biodiversity hotspots, and flagships for the world's protected areas" says Allen Putney, Vice-Chair for World Heritage of IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas. "More than half the existing World Heritage Sites need more support and resources, to make sure they are managed effectively. We should be focusing much more on protecting the sites that are listed. After all, the goal of the Convention is to maintain the values of these extraordinary places."
What to expect:
- Breaking news on the latest natural sites to be added to the World Heritage List, as they are announced at the World Heritage Committee.
- New IUCN report about the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger.
- Breaking news on the sites added to and removed from the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger, as they are announced at the World Heritage Committee.
- New IUCN capacity building initiative to enhance the management of World Heritage sites.
When: Monday, June, 22, to Tuesday, June 30. Press updates as events unfold at the meeting.
- Tim Badman, IUCN Special Advisor on World Heritage Sites, e [email protected]
- Pedro Rosabal, Senior Programme Officer, IUCN's Programme on Protected Areas, e [email protected]
- Tilman Jaeger, IUCN World Heritage Project Management Officer, e [email protected]
- Josephine Langley, IUCN World Heritage Monitoring Officer, e [email protected]
Media team:
- Borjana Pervan, IUCN Media Relations, m +41 79 857 4072 , e [email protected]
- Sonsoles Sanroman, IUCNCommunications, t + 18.104.22.16830 (ext. 106),
e [email protected]
About IUCN
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.
IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.
IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,000 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN's work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.


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Richmond, Peck Receive Teaching Awards at Commencement 2013Dr. Katherine Richmond '00, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. James Peck, associate professor of theatre, were honored with teaching awards at Muhlenberg College's 165th Commencement on May 19, 2013.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 08:39 AM
Richmond was selected to receive The Paul C. Empie '29 Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching. This award, honoring excellence in inspirational teaching, is given in memory of the Rev. Paul C. Empie '29, D.D., a Muhlenberg Trustee and Chairman of the Board from 1972 to 1979.
After receiving her Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Richmond joined the psychology faculty in 2006. She teaches a variety of courses including multicultural psychology, psychology of women, abnormal psychology, and research methods. She previously taught at The University of Pennsylvania and Nova Southeastern University. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and her research interests include gender studies, trauma and multicultural studies.
Peck is this year's recipient of The Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award. The Lindback Award honors a full-time faculty member each year who exhibits a commitment to excellence in classroom teaching and a personal concern toward students' learning.
Peck joined the Muhlenberg faculty in 1999 after completing his Ph.D. in performance studies at New York University. He has directed more than 50 productions throughout the United States and published numerous scholarly articles. He serves as editor of the academic journal "Theatre Topics." His research interests include the theory and practice of directing, Restoration and eighteenth-century British theater, and contemporary African theater. In addition to Muhlenberg, he has taught at the Yale School of Drama, the New York University Tisch School of the Arts,and the Playwrights Horizons Theater School. Since 2006, Peck has served as chair of Muhlenberg's Department of Theatre & Dance.
To see highlights and photos of the weekend, visit the Commencement website.


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Jean Dieuzaide
Voilure du Concorde 1968About this photograph
« Dieuzaide was always a fanatic admirer of flying things. His images are a living illustration of his passion for aeronautic construction and aerial manifestations. He found the land of the take off in Toulouse, the best opportunities to seize in his objective lens sun or sky, the most astonishing forms, the most impressive or the most poetic of these flying machines that have become the stuff of so many dreams. The exhibition ' Rêves d?avions ' retraces the fabulous history of the conquest of the sky and gives homage to the men and to the rare women who have written it and highlights the talent of this poet of light and of his precious vision as an esthete and a photographer. »Yves Marc, CommissionerRead more Read less
The photographs are carefully packaged in order to ensure their optimal protection during transport.
Born in 1921, Jean Dieuzaide very quickly showed a passion for photography. He proved it ardently, everywhere, from Paris to Toulouse, passing through Arles. Launched by a photograph of General de Gaulle that would be largely distributed, Jean Dieuzaide became a photojournalist. Many of his reportages appeared in the international press, such as the one dedicated to the marriage of two tightrope walkers and published by ' Life ' Jean Dieuzaide also photographed for ' documentary ' works : Gascogne, Portugal, Périgord, Languedoc... Many are the prizes, nominations, requests for hischairing jurys, associations, contests to which the name of Jean Dieuzaide isattached.In addition, he was the winner of the prize Niepce in 1954, of the prize Nadar in 1961. He was named an Officer of the National Order of Merit and an Officer in the order of Arts and Letters in 1981. He received the grand prize of the Arts of the City of Paris in 1985, the gold medal of the city of Toulouse in 1986, the gold ' Sicof ' at Milan and was named a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International in 1988. He was also given an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Photographic Society in 1994.


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Consecutive questionable calls in the New York Giants-Pittsburgh Steelers game directly led to points for the Giants in the first half of the Steelers' 24-20 win Sunday.
NFL Replay
will re-air the Pittsburgh Steelers' 24-20 win over the New York Giants in Week 9 on Tuesday, Nov. 6
at 8 p.m. ET.
» NFL Network schedule
First up was a third-and-2 incomplete pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz in the clip above. Steelers safety Ryan Clark was called for a personal foul for a hit to the head on Cruz on the play. The replay clearly showed that Clark hit Cruz low. The hit also came before the ball hit the ground.
Cruz briefly left the game with a rib injury after the hit, but he returned shortly afterward.
The Giants likely would have kicked a field goal after the incomplete pass, but they wound up rushing for a touchdown on the next play. That's a four-point swing.
On the ensuing drive, Ben Roethlisberger was sacked by Osi Umenyiora. Michael Boley returned Big Ben's fumble 70 yards for a touchdown. But was it a fumble?
Relive every game this season online and on-demand with enhanced viewing features, including the "All-22" coaches film. Get NFL Game Rewind.
Roethlisberger appeared to regain control and maintain enough possession of the ball to throw it forward on the play. We thought the call should have been overturned as an incomplete pass upon review. It wasn't, giving the Giants seven points.
"I didn't ask for an explanation," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "I can't figure out some of this stuff now. I just tried to move on as best I can because that's what our guys need to do."
So two calls led to 11 potential free points for the Giants. It makes the Steelers' comeback victory all the more impressive. And deserving.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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Welcome everyone to the second instalment of the WOC and ally carnival. Often when WOC speak or allies attempt to engage with racial conversations critically we are silenced. It has become essential that we promote spaces where we can engage safely. This months feature post is by the Uppity Brown Woman and it is entitled On Fundamentally Missing The Point Of WOC – only spaces.
Oppression hurts. It cuts deep. Not all of us know how to deal with it without unknowingly hurting ourselves. Not all of us have the words to relay what we are feeling. Not all of us have the ability to speak out, because though silence isn't comforting, it's familiar. WOC only spaces give us a chance to discuss and listen to similar kinds of hurt without having to pander to whiteness. This doesn't mean that other WOC will not come to the defence of whiteness, or become defensive/offended on behalf of whiteness, but the presence of whiteness in the space automatically makes many WOC feel like they have to watch what they say in order to not offend that whiteness. This doesn't mean that WOC cannot disagree, or approach oppression differently, because we are all different people. We have chances to speak freely, question systems of domination, and each other in a collective environment. We are not alone. We can speak freely without having to resort to Racism 101 For White People, and any hand holding is done for the benefit of POC… not whiteness.
Please click here to submit to Next months carnival.
The spirit of the stairs by Dori of a Truly Elegant Mess; A critical look at the way privilege works to up hold racism, sexism and homophobia. The undeserved privilege that many fail to acknowledge maintains our dissonance in worth and value.
This Is Not A Hotel by guerrilla mama medicine: This is a compelling short true story about imprisonment. I fear I am not eloquent enough to even write a synopsis of this brilliant work. It is a must read.
The Jewel of Medina: A book review by Aaminah Hernandez of the Feminist Review. "The Jewel of Medina has hyper-sexualized A'isha's story, and while there may be concerns about other historical and revered figures being misrepresented, there is a significant difference in Jones' portrayal of A'isha. Arguments claiming that Jesus may have married, for example, do not denigrate his character, but instead pose questions where historical data has left gaps that people have a desire to fill in understanding his life. Jones, however, did not need to fill in any gaps in A'isha's life. Instead, she seems to be using the idea of fiction as an excuse to write something completely fabricated and ridiculous that seeks to deny the very virtues for which A'isha is revered. Ultimately, it is the tasteless, explicit sexual discussion in the book that further differentiates it from the way other spiritual figures have been written about."
AsiaPacifiQueer: Rethinking Genders and Sexualities: A book review by Olupero R. Aiyenimelo of the Feminist Review. "AsiaPacifiQueer: Rethinking Genders and Sexualities totally changed my perception on these subjects. As a self-proclaimed tomboy, who happens not to be a lesbian, society is much more accepting of my "ways" than they would be if I were an effeminate man. The essays and examinations gathered here by the editors take this subject to an infinitely crucial level in understanding what it means to fall outside of another proverbial box, from a non-Western cultural perspective.
Against the "replace_____with the word black" school of criticism by Ampersand of Alas A Blog. He writes, "There are a lot of problems with the "replace ______ with the word black" school of criticism.
First, it creates a burden on people of color, to constantly have their oppression used as the measuring stick.
Second, it implies, falsely, that racism is a problem that's been solved."
Stuff POC do: restrain ourselves by Restructure. "Instead of "I'm offended!", I tend to say, "That's racist!" However, this method has its own problems, because although you are not calling someone a racist, the accused perceives it that way, that you are personally attacking their character. Calling someone racist, they argue, is an ad hominem and therefore not a valid argument. They say that you are characterizing them as a bad person so that anything they say is characterized as illegitimate. They make it all about them instead of about the action being criticized. They claim that they are being silenced if I use the word "racist", so that I even considered using the terms "racialist" or "racial discrimination" instead to make the criticism more acceptable."
Why we think we're post-racial, why it's a dangerous desire by Mzbitca of What A Crazy Random Happenstance: "A post-racial society for them means a perfect opportunity to be the complete jackasses they truly are and then claim that everyone else is over-reacting. I don't believe that many of these people actually "believe" in or want a post-racial world, they want others to think that it's true so they can act as asinine as possible without consequences. My biggest fear is that these types are going to be able to be more and more vocal due to what I view as the second type of post-racial cheerleaders."
Race, Skin Color, and the Three Year Old Mind by Elena of California NOW, "Yesterday my daughter and I had our first serious conversation about race.
We had gone to the playground, which usually has a very racially diverse mixture of kids, but this time the only other kids on the playground were African-American.
Millie will usually get to the playground and fixate on one or two kids, following them around and joining in their play. This time she hung near me, reluctant to leave.
"Go on and play, sweetie," I said, pointing out a couple of kids her age, "There's a little girl, and there's a boy your size, you can play with them."
"But they all have black faces," she said very seriously".
Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and two to listen by Ciderpress. Hir writing includes, "Reading many of the defences I've seen during RaceFail '09, it has been hard for me to be sympathetic to those who still defend the extent of narcissistic, aggressive deracilisation of the conversation, the endless double standards, ad hominem attacks, sophistry and the differing racially offensive, dehumanising statements and racist, misogynistic epithets that have been thrown, that so many white people feel *entitled* to throw, at PoC without regret or even awareness of the privilege that they can do this without any real repercussions. Hard for me to be sympathetic to what is going through people's minds when they ask PoC to privilege white people's racially problematic emotional reactions and feelings above all else, that anyone could have the gall to berate PoC/allies for not privileging white people's emotional reactions above all else"
Sick Saturday – See Rappin Hitler and Barack's Monkey Shots Video by Ausetkmt of Bad Gals Radio. This post looks at various racist activities, that have been presented to the public as simply humour or satire and the ways in which it all supports the white male patriarchy.
I Didn't Stop Being Black When I Transistioned by Monica of TransGriot. "One of the things that irritates the frack out of me is when I run into folks that seem to have the misguided belief that I'm not only no longer Black, but don't have any right to claim my heritage since I transitioned over ten years ago.
The only thing that changed about me is the outer shell. It now matches the way I always felt, wanted to project to the world and who I am, a strong, proud woman who happens to be unabashedly African-American."
Listen Up White Women: On racism and feminism by whatsername of The Jaded Hippy. "I've been the newly feminist white woman from suburbia raring to go and finding herself with shit coming out of her mouth that when it was read back to her through the perceptions of those reading it, it was downright ugly. It hurts to find out what your thoughts mean for the lives of others sometimes. Yes. It throws your whole little world into flux to find out you don't have to wear a white sheet to be racist. Yes. I know."
Darwin Award Nomination: the blogger that advocates overturning Roe V Wade to save the economy by Wren of true adventures in money hacking. Looking at why a reduction in womens rights is not the correct approach to deal with the current financial collapse
Obama calls for more responsibility form black fathers by T'ings 'N Times. "So why does the man-in-the-house argument carry so much weight? Part of the answer, I believe, lies in the inherent sexism of our patriarchal society, which presumes that men are natural leaders and that social problems arise when men do not lead. After all, we are taught that men lead nations, armies, churches, and corporations, so it is only natural that they should lead households. But the damage done to the Black two-parent heterosexual family—not to mention the wider Black community—is not the result of decisions made by individual Black men. Rather, it is the consequence of the same social and economic structures that continue to keep Black men under-educated, under-employed, and over-represented in the criminal justice system."
the eastern congo 2005 by guerrilla mama medicine: a heart breaking poem about the mass rape and murders in the congo
The Transgender Talented Tenth by Monica of TransGriot. "Too many of us have been focused on the party, the quick money and obsessively finding a 'husband' to validate our femininity. Not enough thought or time has been spent on community building, addressing the negative image we've been saddled with, where we fit in with our biowomen sistahs or how we evolve into becoming the Phenomenal Transwomen we were born to be."
Black Fathers and The Family Court by Randi of Randi James. "the White Patriarchal establishment uses the Black family as an example of what is dysfunctional in society, in order to maintain White male hegemony. And this affects the thinking of everyone operating under this context."
The Destruction Of The Black Transwoman Image by Monica of TransGriot. "One of the things that I and my transsisters have in common with our biosisters besides our shared cultural heritage is
since the advent of the slave trade, the Black female image has been subjected to a wide array of slights, outrageous comments, and bigoted or racist behaviour."
A Few Words On Chris and Rihanna by Loryn of Black Girl Blogging. "Many rape and domestic violence cases go unreported because no survivor, regardless of their sex, gender, race, or sexual preference, wants to be blamed for the abuse they have experienced. No one wants to be told that perhaps they "deserved" their abuse, and no one wants to go to court only to see their abuser let off the hook"
Expanded Commentary ON SB1065/HB890 – Forced Drug Tests For Pregnant Women by Rachel of Women's Health News. "The fact that it is likely not intended to catch women "like me," however, reveals a bit of the racist and classist assumptions underlying the bill. It has been rumored that the authors might see this as a way to reduce the appalling infant mortality rate in Memphis. While that is something absolutely worth working on, this bill makes an assumption that the cause is just individual bad/illegal choices by those poor black women that we disproportionately find in Memphis, instead of looking for systemic or medical evidence-based causes. It is quite likely to disproportionately affect women of color, women whose reproduction in this country has historically been subjected to a higher level of policing, and reminds those women that they are still the subject of greater reproductive scrutiny. As the National Advocates for Pregnant Women note, "In general, the justifications for prohibition and regulation of both drugs and reproduction have often been based on various forms of stigma and prejudice, including but not limited to those based on race, ethnicity, and gender. Laws prohibiting and regulating drugs, abortion, and contraception are generally enforced disproportionally against low-income people and people of color."
We need some Work by Hilary of Mom's Tinfoil Hat. "Earlier this year, I didn't understand why people were complaining that it was wrong to compare gays wanting to get legally married (in the context of the Proposition 8 and similar state provisions) to Loving v. Virginia. Although I still think there is room for nuanced conversations about history and discrimination of other groups in a certain context, but now I totally see why it is wrong, repetitive and annoying for blacks to constantly be the discrimination ruler against which all other oppression in measured."
Ideology and Crises is by Ezra of Rough Fractals, "The current economic crisis, coming, as it does, at the end of the dogmatically reactionary Bush administration, is opening the door to a new dialogue about the nature of capitalism, and the role of the state. Not since the sixties has there been the opportunity for such a far-reaching and essential look at our social arrangements, our economic system, and our political process. Since Reagan, who brilliantly took the country so far right that centrist democrats like Clinton looked like progressive visionaries, a truly progressive agenda has been totally on the margin."
"Expert" consulted on RE5 Racism Issue: Not An Expert On Race after all from Acid For Blood. "Recently, VideoGamer.com interviewed an "expert" to ask him whether the imagery in Resident Evil 5 was racist. The academic expert they consulted was Glenn Bowman, Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Kent. Bowman said that Resident Evil 5 is not racist in that interview. Bowman even went so far as to dismiss views that Resident Evil 5 contains racist imagery as "silly". Major blogs like Joystiq are running wild with the VideoGamer.com interview.
There's a serious problem here, though. None of these major gaming media outlets have done their homework. Joystiq and the other big games blogs like Kotaku and Destructoid are merely reporting verbatim what VideoGamer.com published, without engaging in actual, investigative journalism. Doesn't journalism include fact-checking sources?
Comparing Female Protagonists : Portal and Mirrors Edge from Acid for Blood. "Over at The Hathor Legacy, a blog about women and gender issues in media, Kris Ligman wrote a post comparing Portal (2007)and Mirror's Edge (2008). I disagreed with most of it, and I will go through the main points.
Ligman asserts that Mirror's Edge was trying to copy Portal, and based upon superficial evidence, she draws comparisons between the two characters and the marketing of the two games. The only similarities the two games have are: woman of colour protagonist (Chell's race/ethnicity are ambiguous), first-person perspective, minimalistic graphical user interface (GUI), and a theme song with the same name. It's hard to find weight to the imitation argument because the games have quite different design philosophies and different goals for their lead characters. It terms of marketing, it's difficult to draw useful comparisons, because each was released with different promotional goals in mind."
Thanks so much to all that participated in this months carnival. I would also like to offer a shout out to the upcoming Asian Women Carnival. Let us support our sisters and read their work. If you would like to submit to the next WOC and ally carnival please click here. Please be sure to check back here next month for the next instalment of the WOC and ally blog carnival.


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Surprising Nanjing: Mini-guide to China's ancient capital
Visit Nanjing ("southern capital" in Chinese) and you start to wonder how the city could remain such a secret among international travelers.
Sure, the capital of the Jiangsu province in eastern China isn't as fashionable as Shanghai.
Nor is its architecture as majestic as Beijing's.
But the immense wealth of well-preserved Chinese culture and history, architecture unique to China's Minguo era (1912-1949) and roots of one of China's finest cuisines are highly alluring.
Then there's an emerging hipster scene that radiates just beneath the city's traditional surface.
With the Youth Olympic Games coming to the city in 2014, it's easy to see why this city of 8 million is becoming China's cool kid all over again.
InterContinental Nanjing
The tallest building in Nanjing, unobstructed views of the city and a killer central location make the InterContinental Nanjing the city's landmark hotel.
In the 450-meter-high Zifeng Tower, the hotel has 433 rooms and suites, all placed on the 49th floor or higher.
The bars and restaurants on the 45th and 78th floors may be the best location to view Nanjing.
InterContinental Nanjing, 1 Central Road (Zhong Yang Road), Gulou District, Nanjing; +86 25 8353 8888; from CNY 1,100 ($180) per night
Kayumanis Nanjing
The Balinese resort brand's first overseas venture is hidden in Nanjing's Tangshan, the hot spring area 40 minutes from the city center.
It's the most luxurious hotel in Nanjing or surrounding area.
The resort has 20 villas -- all done up in different themes with private pools, outdoor Jacuzzis with hot spring water, a spa center and reasonably good restaurant, "Nine."
Guests can take classes ranging from yoga to calligraphy.
Kayumanis Nanjing, 12 Wenquan Road, Tangshan Town, Nanjing; +86 25 8410 7777; from CNY 4,180 ($685) per night
Jinling Hotel
The first business hotel in Nanjing and once the tallest high-rise in China, the 37-story Jinling Hotel houses 585 rooms and suites.
Founded in 1983, the state-approved hotel has served countless international political leaders.
The interior design is classy, service is excellent.
The hotel has an award-winning restaurant, Plum Garden, as well as the first revolving restaurant in China, Sky Palace, on the 36th floor.
Jinling Hotel, Xin Jie Kou Square, Nanjing; +86 25 8471 1888; from CNY 1,048 ($170) per night
Plum Garden
Originating in Nanjing, Jinling cuisine is one of the leading cuisine categories in China.
The best introduction is at Plum Garden.
The award-winning restaurant in the Jinling Hotel serves savory salted duck, a local specialty made by marinating the finest duck in a special brine.
Another classic Jinling dish (you may have to order it off the menu) is deep-fried Mandarin fish, commonly known as squirrel fish. The de-boned fish is deep-fried and seasoned with sweet and sour sauce.
Plum Garden, 2/F, Jinling Hotel, Xin Jie Kou Square, Nanjing; open daily, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 6-10 p.m.; +86 25 8471 1888 (ext.84204)
Ma Xiang Xing
Maybe the oldest restaurant in Nanjing, Ma Xiang Xing Halal restaurant was founded more than 160 years ago as a humble street stall.
It's the birthplace of famous Jinling dishes, including "squirrel fish" and "phoenix tail shrimp."
The upper floors are good for a proper sit-down meal, whereas the first floor diner serves smaller and quicker meals for cheaper prices.
Nanjing Impressions
Retro interior design, staff in Minguo-era dress and traditional Chinese performance -- walking into this restaurant is like entering a theater.
Now a chain restaurant, Nanjing Impressions maintains a good standard in all its branches.
Recommended foods include spicy crayfish, duck soup dumpling and stewed meatballs.
Visitors should try a sweet congee named after Song Meiling, wife of former Chinese president Chiang Kai-shek. It's said that Song was a huge fan of the congee.
Nanjing Impressions, No. 2, Lion Bridge, Hunan Road, Nanjing; +86 25 8330 5777
Confucius Temple food street
This area made famous by the Confucius Temple has also been named one of four major small-eats areas in China.
Locals complain about a recent decline in quality, but it's still the best place to sample lots of Nanjing flavors in one place while admiring the view of the Qinhuai River.
In its glory days, eight sets of its small eats were dubbed the eight treasures of Qinhuai.
Traditional foods to try include qifangge (ghee baked cake) and jiangyouji (fried beef dumplings).
New Castle Bar/C-Lounge
"Where are we going to see live performances in Nanjing now?"
This was a common refrain among Nanjingers who gasped like lost children when the Castle Bar recently hung a "closed" sign on its front door.
Fortunately, the bar was just moving to a new location, taking with it the promise of the same cool gigs and cheap drinks that made it a legend among the city's party crowd.
Founded in 1999, Castle Bar has become the biggest -- if not the only -- venue for underground indie rock music in town.
More good news -- the same ownership group has opened a new venue: C-Lounge, an up-market version of Castle Bar, with sophisticated cocktails and what it calls Nanjing's best-looking bar staff.
New Castle Bar, 2/F Fusheng Building, 1 Fu Hougang, Gulou District, Nanjing; opening hours depend on performance schedules
C-Lounge, 237 Zhongshan East Road, Nanjing; +86 152 5248 2023; open daily 7 p.m.-3 a.m.
61House Bar & Restaurant
Located in Nanjing's university district, 61House, a converted bomb shelter, is the hippest bar in town.
A restaurant by day and meeting point at night, the underground watering hole also has a spacious al fresco area upstairs.
Although it no longer hosts live concerts, the unique vibe of the bar attracts a crowd from nearby universities.
It's not far from Shanghai Street, where many more stylish bars are located.
61House Bar & Restaurant, 61 Hankou Xi Lu, Nanjing; +86 25 8320 5979; open daily from 9 a.m. till late
If you can't decide which Nanjing bar to check out first, the 1912 district might be helpful.
The primary up-market nightlife district in Nanjing aims to be a local version of Xintiandi in Shanghai or Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong.
An interesting feature to 1912 is that its restaurants, bars and clubs are all housed in gray-brick historic buildings dating to the period around 1912.
InterContinental Prime/Sky Bar
No list of Nanjing nightlife is complete without the city's highest restaurant and bar, Prime.
On the 78th floor of the InterContinental, the bar serves as a cigar lounge, champagne and wine lounge and martini bar, stocking a wide range of labels.
The hotel is also home to the modern Sky Bar on the 45th floor.
InterContinental Nanjing, 1 Central Road (Zhong Yang Road), Gulou District, Nanjing; +86 25 8353 8888
Zhongshan Mountain National Park
Nanjing doesn't have the jaw-dropping skyscrapers of other major Chinese cities, but it has something as enviable -- a scenic lake and mountain area smashed into the city center.
Even better, dotted amid the natural scenery are historic sites.
Zhongshan Mountain National Park in Purple Mountain has some of the most important attractions in Nanjing:
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is a majestic resting place for Sun, the father of modern China.
Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty and Linggu Temple are parts of a large-scale and scenic Buddhist temple complex.
The park provides train-like "sightseeing vehicles" between each location (CNY 5 per ride).
Visitors can also hike on paved roads between each spot.
Private tour cart service (CNY 200) is available, but it's not recommended in locations such as Ming Xiaoling, because carts aren't allowed to go into the actual area.
Zhongshan Mountain National Park; free entrance for Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, combined ticket for Xiaoling Tomb, Lingu Temple and Open-Air Music Hall (a plaza next to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum) costs CNY 115 ($18); +86 25 8443 7786
Presidential Palace
The two-dimensional, gray front gate understates the vast, beautiful and significant Presidential Palace.
The immense palace dates back six centuries.
Apart from images of scenes from various eras and well-preserved historic artifacts, beautifully symmetric gardens and courtyards are highlights of the palace.
From the garden house that amplifies the sound of trees in the rain to a confidential meeting room in the middle of a lake, the palace is a historic theme park.
Presidential Palace, CNY 40 ($6.50); open daily 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (March-October), 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (November) and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (December-February); tour guide available for CNY 100 (in Chinese) or CNY 150 (in English) for groups of 10 or fewer.
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
Documenting the most heartbreaking chapter in the city's history, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall is a must-see.
Built in 1985 on the site of a former mass burial ground (part of it is displayed), the contemporary museum commemorates the death of about 300,000 Nanjing citizens during Japanese occupation in World War II.
The museum is informative, with wartime stories that will chill your spine told by witnesses and victims. This is an extremely sobering experience.
Signage is in Chinese and English.
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, 418 Shuiximen St., Nanjing; open Tuesday-Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; free entry
Librairie Avant-Garde
While reading at a book shop may not be at the top of most travelers' wish lists, Librairie Avant-Garde isn't just any book shop.
Voted the most beautiful book shop in China in 2009, Librairie Avant-Garde is located in an unusual location -- an underground car park.
Some of the old car park décor has been retained, there are numerous open spaces and seats for readers to read in and famous poems are carved on each pillar in the shop.
Owner Qian Xiaohua hopes to turn a bookshop into a library, coffee shop and intellectual forum venue as well as an exhibition space for art.
Librairie Avant-Garde, 173 Guangzhou Lu, Nanjing; +86 25 8371 1455
Hot springs
Some 30 kilometers from Nanjing city center sits one of the best hot spring areas in China -- Tangshan ("soup mountain").
Once an exclusive hot spring area for the royals and nobles, Tangshan's hot spring has a history going back 1,500 years.
The water temperature remains at around 60C (140F) throughout the year, with rich mineral substances in the waters.
Visitors can stay in a hot spring resort such as Regalia on the hill or Kayumanis in the foothills, or head to EASpring, which is open to the public with dozens of pools, from Chinese medicine baths to wine and coffee baths.
Chiang Kai-shek built a vacation home here for he and his wife.
A taxi from the city center to Tangshan costs about CNY 100 ($16).
EASpring Nanjing, 8 Wenquan Road, Tangshan Town, Nanjing; +86 25 5119 0666; entrance fee CNY 218 (bring own swimwear), some baths have additional charges
Old Nanjing
As in any rapidly developing city, Nanjing's old buildings are vanishing, making way for new development.
A visit to southern Nanjing still offers a glimpse of the city's old life.
A nostalgic tour can start from Zhonghua Gate, site of the oldest and best-preserved city wall in China, the Ming City Wall.
Gan's Grand Courtyard, the biggest preserved residential structure is now the Nanjing Folk Museum. The mansion is also called "99 rooms and a half" to signify the vastness of this former home of a wealthy local.
Visitors can stroll along old alleys such as Ping Shi Jie, Ling Zhuang Xiang and Diao Yu Tai, where they'll find authentic Chinese snacks and unique architecture aplenty.
Zhonghua Gate, Zhonghua South Road, Qinhuai Nanjing; open daily 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; CNY 34 ($5.50)
Gan's Grand Courtyard, 15 Nanguting, South of Zhonghua Road, Nanjing; open daily 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; CNY 20
Xuanwu Lake
In the central area of the city, Xuanwu Lake provides a place for locals to escape the summer heat. It's also a major meeting place for locals in the evening.
Different Nanjingers will organize casual walking groups to circle the 444-hectare park in the evening.
Concerts and dance gatherings are often held in the park.
CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However, CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy.


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Study Shows Young Americans Support 2nd Ammendment
People can vote in many ways. First off, of course, there is the ballot box. People can also vote with their feet. California has seen people fleeing the state in droves in order to escape the high taxes and even higher crime rates.
People also can vote with their wallets. A study from American University reports that an overwhelming majority of young people plan to purchase firearms. Campus Reform reports:
Sixty percent of high school and college students say they plan on owning guns at a later stage in life, an academic study from American University revealed on Monday.
The study results are based on a sample of over 4000 high school and college students. This sample size is far larger than your typical political tracking poll, which usually samples 1000 people. The sample is therefore large enough to be statistically sound, which is math speak for, "It is representative of the population sampled." Considering how our political class is trying to score points off the tragedy in CT, this trend should give them pause.
Our Founding Father's had a firm grasp of what is required to secure and safe guard liberty. We, as a society, have dismissed their wisdom. We may grow to regret this. For those who support the 2nd amendment, an "I told you so." will be cold comfort.


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Be advised that changing your location will remove the contents from your bag.
* Unfortunately we do not currently offer online shopping in these locations.
Designed for the most discerning travelers, the RIMOWA Classic effortlessly combines luxury with functionality. Built for a lifetime of unhindered use, each RIMOWA Classic features a high-end anodized aluminum alloy, riveted high-gloss aluminum corners, and hand-made leather handles, creating the perfect balance between craftsmanship and superior engineering.
See airline compatibility
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Packed items are kept in perfect order during transit with the height adjustable Flex Divider, which can be adapted to suit your belongings.
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Engineered to offer seamless stage-free adjustment for maximum comfort and smooth manoeuvrability.


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WHAT IS IT? AP Racing's ORR sintered metallic brake pads use material with a high friction coefficient that works over a broad temperature range. ORR is an acronym for Offroad Racing.
WHAT'S IT COST? $35.99 (a pair).
CONTACT? www.apbrakesusa.com or (562) 945-1098.
WHAT STANDS OUT? Here's a list of things that stand out with AP Racing's ORR brake pads.
(1) Friction rating. Brake pads are designated by an A through H friction rating, with H being the highest coefficient number. The ORR pads are designated HH. More friction means more stopping power.
(2) Development. The AP brake pads are designed and manufactured in London, England. Engineers use an inertia dynamometer to examine the friction produced by the brake pads at different operating temperatures, pressures and rubbing speeds. AP Racing developed the ORR pads several years ago, but they have not been available to the American public. Why? The U.S. importer waited for approval from their sponsored race teams to make sure the pads were ready for prime time.
(3) Caveat. We tested the AP Racing brake pads on a 2010 Honda CRF450 against OEM Honda pads. Everyone in the brake business will tell you that Honda's stock pads are very good. Additionally, the MXA wrecking crew has tried lots of different aftermarket brake pads, and we generally prefer OEM pads. The AP ORR pads had their work cut out for them.
(4) Front brake pads. The front AP Racing ORR pads produced a crisper feel on initial engagement than the stockers. The feel remained good, with improved modulation, as we squeezed harder on the brake lever. The biggest difference between the AP and OEM pads was that the AP pads had more grab at the first touch of the lever. They were also easier to break in.
(5) Rear brake pads. With the rear brake pads, we wanted to see how well they resisted overheating (which is very easy to do on a CRF450). One of the downsides of overheating your rear brake pads (apart from squealing and boiling the brake fluid) is that the pads never work as well again. Overall, the MXA wrecking crew didn't find that the feel or modulation of AP's rear brakes was any better than the stock OEM pads, but even though they lost some performance after over-heating, we didn't feel the need to replace them.
(6) Fluid. We used AP Racing PRF 660 fluid with both the stock and AP pads. It has a very high boiling point (608 degrees Fahrenheit).
WHAT'S THE SQUAWK? No complaints about the AP Racing ORR pads. They work well and have excellent durability.
The AP Racing ORR brake pads responded quicker and broke in easier than stock Honda pads. It was a small, gain, but small improvements in brakes can make a big difference in results.


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Subscribe To Chris Columbus To Write And Direct John Grisham's Calico Joe Updates
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During the early and mid-90s Hollywood absolutely lost its shit for the work of John Grisham. It began in 1993 when Sydney Pollack directed an adaptation of The Firm with Tom Cruise, which subsequently became a massive hit, leading studios to keep pumping out Grisham movies year after year, with titles like The Pelican Brief, A Time To Kill and The Rainmaker. Eventually we began to see fewer and fewer Grisham-based pieces of entertainment, but he may be making a comeback. The Firm was recently turned into a television series on NBC (albeit one that was cancelled after one season), and now Deadline says that another movie adaptation is in the works.
Chris Columbus, who last directed 2010's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, has optioned the rights to John Grisham's Calico Joe under his 1492 Pictures banner and plans to both write and helm a movie based on the book. Released just this year, the movie isn't a courtroom drama, but rather a baseball story. The plot is about a young player named "Calico Joe" Castle who rises to the Major Leagues and immediately becomes a phenomenon playing for the Chicago Cubs. One of his biggest fans is a boy named Paul Tracey, the son of a washed-up, journeyman pitcher named Warren Tracey. When the older Tracey and Castle finally meet at the plate, however, Tracey throws a pitch that will change the lives of both men forever.
Said Columbus about the story, "When I finished this beautiful, deeply moving novel, I immediately started to see the movie in my head. I knew that I had to write and direct Calico Joe. The story deals with universal themes of betrayal, tragedy and redemption. It has the potential to be a classic film and I am honored to be a part of it."


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What's Changing
Biggest Free Agents
» WR Greg Jennings: Jennings was one of those homegrown Packers to get a second contract, but he's not going to get a third. Green Bay is plenty deep at wideout with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and James Jones. The Packers have salary-cap space, but don't expect them to use the franchise tag on Jennings.
» LB Brad Jones: Jones did a nice job converting to inside linebacker and helps on special teams. He's a versatile piece that shouldn't be too expensive to bring back.
» LB Erik Walden: He's played too many snaps for the Packers over the last few years.
Other key free agents: Cedric Benson, Evan Dietrich-Smith (RFA), and Sam Shields (RFA), and Ryan Grant.
What they need
The Packers need to improve their pass rush, running game, and overall team toughness. That will be accomplished primarily through the draft and development (sense a theme here?). The offensive line is sure to be a focus as well. Otherwise, Thompson figures to look to the future. They have a lot of candidates for long-term contract extensions from linebacker Clay Matthews to quarterback Aaron Rodgers to nose tackle B.J. Raji.
|Take a look at the best photos from the Green Bay Packersâ 2012 season.
It's not that Thompson is completely averse to free agency; think Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett. It's possible the Packers could go bargain hunting for help, especially at running back and in the defensive front seven.
Offseason crystal ball
Thompson knows that contracts for Matthews and Rodgers are imperative and they won't get any cheaper with time. Don't be surprised to see megadeals for both players before the 2013 season starts. The team also needs to tender Dietrich-Smith and Shields at relatively high numbers because they are both starters.
Tight end Jermichael Finley and linebacker A.J. Hawk are both candidates for release if the Packers were truly penny-pinching, but dropping Hawk wouldn't save that much money. Coach Mike McCarthy indicated after the season that Finley should remain on the team. Fullback John Kuhn is a more likely cut.
This isn't a team that has title windows or rebuilds. It's built to contend every season. Four consecutive playoff appearances, with one title mixed in, shows the approach is working.


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• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
Arab countries, after months of silence on Syria's uprising, have come out against the Assad regime's brutal crackdown on protesters. Though regional autocrats and monarchies were initially hesitant to support a movement looking to overthrow an authoritarian leader, a sharp increase in violence – coming during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – precipitated a round of unusually harsh criticism.
Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Syria on Sunday night, capping a weekend of mounting regional condemnation of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Kuwait followed suit on Monday. The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional economic bloc, also criticized the Assad regime during the weekend.
The past week has been the bloodiest yet in Syria's uprising, which began in March. More than 300 died in the past week alone, according to the Associated Press.
"Any sane Arab, Muslim or anyone else knows that this has nothing to do with religion, or ethics or morals," Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said in a statement, calling for an end to the Assad regime's violence. "Spilling the blood of the innocent for any reasons or pretext leads to no path to ... hope."
Saudi Arabia is largely aligned against Syria, which has close ties with Saudi rival Iran. But as one of the most powerful nations in the Middle East, the kingdom wields significant influence. Saudi Arabia's condemnation is also noteworthy because it has largely stayed quiet in the face of other uprisings, although it sent troops to help put down an uprising in neighboring Bahrain.
According to the BBC, "by Arab diplomatic standards, it was a highly dramatic intervention by the Saudi monarch. It is by far the clearest and toughest regional position Syria has met, and it comes from one of the most influential Arab powers."
The Syrian government has repeatedly blamed the unrest on terrorists and foreign saboteurs. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) carried a statement expressing "regret" at the Gulf Cooperation Council's criticism of the regime:
A Syrian official source on Sunday said Syria has received with regret the statement of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which completely ignored the information and facts presented by Syria on the killing and sabotage acts committed by armed terrorist groups seeking to undermine the homeland's sovereignty and security...
The source said "Overcoming the current situation of violence and the real desire to serve Syria's interest requires that the Arabs in the GCC call for stopping sabotage acts and condemning armed violence of groups which don't have good intentions for Syria, in addition to giving the space and time needed to translate reforms into reality.
The regime's crackdown on protests has been elevated since the month-long Muslim holiday of Ramadan began a week ago. Mr. Assad's regime has attempted to head off an intensification of protests expected during the holiday – Friday gatherings at mosques for prayer, which often escalate into protests, are daily occurrences during Ramadan.
On Sunday night, thousands were out in the streets of Damascus and its suburbs and in cities in all areas of the country – Homs in the center, Latakia on the coast, Aleppo in the north, and the village of Dael in the south, the AP reports.
The locus of the violence has moved from Hama, where Syrian forces brutally crushed protests last week, to Deir al-Zour in the east. Syrian forces shelled Deir al-Zour for a second day this morning, which was accompanied by renewed artillery and machine gun fire and tanks reentering the city from one side, the BBC reports. At least 50 people were killed in Sunday's assault. The death toll from today's fighting is not yet known.
Deir al-Zour is a predominantly Sunni Muslim area where tribes still hold significant clout. By staging an assault on the city, Assad risks "drawing the ire of tribes that often live by ancient codes of retribution and are far better armed than most Syrians," the Los Angeles Times reports. The security forces's incursion into the city risks inciting a civil war between the government and the tribes, one activist told the Times.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), which carries statements from the Syrian government, there is no shelling of the city and no tanks have entered it. The army units present are there only to "remove roadblocks set up by the armed terrorist groups at the city's entrances." The Syrian Army's intervention comes at the request of tribal leaders, who asked that the army help them "restore normal life and put an end to the acts of killing and terrorism against civilians and soldiers," according to SANA.


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- Chris Wilkinson
Murray cannot afford to sit still
In what Andy Murray has described as the best season of his career "by a mile", it is a shame the British No. 1 couldn't cap a stellar year with victory on home soil at the ATP World Tour Finals.
When he looks back over the year he will be pretty happy with how 2012 panned out. In a two-month period over the summer he reached the final at Wimbledon, won Olympic gold on home soil and claimed his first grand slam title with victory at the US Open.
He has struggled a little since the US Open - he squandered match points in Tokyo (against Milos Raonic), Shanghai (against Novak Djokovic) and Paris (against Jerzy Janowicz), but he has got to look at the overall picture and make sure he builds on a superb season.
Murray needs to keep building and keep believing. If he keeps playing aggressively, I am sure he will win another grand slam next year. It is not a case of changing anything, just keep working hard.
One of the things I think we've learned over the years is that you cannot afford to keep still. Djokovic had a remarkable season in 2011 but he has had another amazing year this year and that is because he could not afford to sit back even as the best player in the world. If Murray sits back he will get left behind, no doubt. He has to keep pushing himself and if he does that I believe he can become world No. 1 next season.
For Ivan Lendl, it is very much a case of mission accomplished. He was appointed solely to help Murray win a grand slam and he did that inside the first 12 months. Obviously Murray was already a quality player and he didn't really need to change much, but as an eight-time major winner and former world No. 1 he was able to offer that little bit extra. Murray's previous coaches would have been telling him to play more aggressively, but Lendl has that extra bit of authority which made the difference.
It has been repeatedly said that Murray would be a multiple grand slam champion if he had played in any other era, but he would almost certainly also be a lesser player. Playing alongside Roger Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal has been tough for Murray, but his US Open victory means he will no longer be mentioned as one of the greatest players never to win a slam.
While he is clearly getting more consistent at grand slams it seems to have come at the detriment of other tournaments - he has won two Masters trophies every year since 2009, but he failed to win a single Masters event this year. When you look at who won the nine Masters trophies this season, apart from David Ferrer's most recent win in Paris, the other titles were shared between Nadal, Djokovic and Federer.
Looking at Murray's ranking points total for 2012 it is not a vast amount more than last season, and when you consider he amassed nearly 1000 extra points at the slams, he needs to be more consistent across the year as well as targeting the majors.
The world No. 1 ranking should also be a realistic target for Murray. It remains to be seen how long Federer can keep going and Nadal will take a while to get back into the swing of things so Murray needs to hit the ground running next season. Djokovic will be the man to catch but if Murray can win the Australian Open he will certainly be a great deal closer to that coveted top spot.
Djokovic was guaranteed to finish the year top of the pile for the second successive season but I think he needed to win the ATP World Tour Finals to really emphasise his dominance. The Serb was gifted the No. 1 spot back after Federer opted not to defend his Paris Masters title. Djokovic has also lost his last two meetings against Federer so he had a point to prove, and finish the season on a high. Djokovic has done incredibly well since the US Open - he appeared to be struggling a bit for form over the summer but he has responded well, and that is the mark of a great champion.
Twelve months ago Federer finished the year on an unbeaten run after winning in Basel, Paris and London, so missing out on a hat-trick of titles in London will be disappointing for the Swiss. I do think Federer exceeded his expectations for the season with victory at Wimbledon and a return to world No. 1, but in all honesty, at 31, I really can't see how he can maintain that level for too much longer.


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Come playoffs, it's Heat
Ira Winderman
Sun Sentinel
The team most likely to finish first in the conference during the regular season?
That would be the Bulls, with coach Tom Thibodeau relentlessly pushing his team through this lockout-compressed grinder of a schedule. Look no further than Sunday's box score. The Bulls had Derrick Rose playing all but 31/2 minutes against the Heat in the first game of a back-to-back set.
The team most likely to advance to the NBA Finals?
Considering the Bulls got just one game from the Heat in last season's Eastern Conference finals, there is little reason to envision any other outcome, in light of how similar these teams remain to last season.
Bulls will challenge
Josh Robbins
Orlando Sentinel
The Heat beat the Bulls on Sunday. The Heat eliminated the Bulls in last spring's playoffs in five games. And the Heat have two bona fide superstars (plus Chris Bosh) to the Bulls' one.
So, Miami is the best team in the East.
Entering Monday, the Bulls had allowed opponents to shoot 42.7 percent from the field, and the Heat had allowed opponents to shoot 42.8 percent. That difference is negligible.
But Miami was shooting 48.3 percent, while Chicago was at 45.9 percent.
The Heat simply have more weapons.
But the Heat and Bulls likely will face each other in the playoffs, and the playoffs are the time when the Bulls can prove themselves.
Stars give Heat edge
K.C. Johnson
The Heat are the best team in the East, and, barring major injuries, they will prove it yet again to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals.
Miami has upgraded its depth with Shane Battier and Norris Cole and a healthy Udonis Haslem. And the Heat can have two or three All-Stars on the court at all times in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
The Bulls have Rose and an almost-All-Star in Luol Deng, who is borderline elite for his versatility, not his ability to create. As good as the Bulls are defensively, stopping three primary scorers four times in seven games is too tough a task. And that will apply to the Western Conference as well when the Heat win the NBA Finals.
Heat have jelled
Baxter Holmes
No longer do LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh play awkward basketball. They look like teammates.
No longer do the other Heat players look like uniform fillers. They look like teammates.
James is the top scorer (29.5 points a game), but while Wade's (19.9) and Bosh's (21.4) numbers are down, the offense is more potent. That's partly because someone aside from those three (Mario Chalmers) is averaging double-digit points and another guy (Norris Cole) can hit that number too.
The Mavericks took the NBA title a season ago when the Heat were a talented enough team but not enough of a team overall. This season, the Heat are, finally, both.


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Meet the biggest carnivorous dinosaur ever found in Europe
Washington: In Europe 150 million years ago, this dude was the biggest, baddest bully in town.
Two scientists in Portugal announced they have identified the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever found in Europe, a 10-metre-long brute called Torvosaurus gurneyi that was the scourge of its domain in the Jurassic Period.
"It was indeed better not to cross the way of this large, carnivorous dinosaur," said paleontologist Christophe Hendrickx of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Museu da Lourinha in Portugal.
Torvosaurus gurneyi was an imposing beast. It was bipedal, weighed 2.5 to 3.6 tonnes, had a skull almost 1.2 metres long, boasted powerful jaws lined with blade-shaped teeth 10 centimetres long, and may have been covered with an early type of feather, Mr Hendrickx said.
"Torvosaurus gurneyi was obviously a super predator feeding on large prey like herbivorous dinosaurs," he said.
Remains of the new species were unearthed in Portugal by an amateur fossil hunter in 2003 in the rock cliffs of Lourinha, a small town about 72 kilometres north of Lisbon, Mr Hendrickx said. He said fossilised embryos probably belonging to this species were identified last year in Portugal.
The findings were published in the journal PLOS ONE.
At the time that Torvosaurus prowled the landscape, the region was a lush river delta with abundant fresh water and vegetation. The area teemed with dinosaurs and flying reptiles known as pterosaurs, primitive birds, crocodiles, turtles and mouse-sized mammals, according to paleontologist Octavio Mateus, also of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Museu da Lourinha.
Plant-eating dinosaurs living in the area included the huge, long-necked Lusotitan, the armoured, tank-like Dracopelta and the spiky-tailed Miragaia, Dr Mateus added.
The two scientists said this is the second species of the genus Torvosaurus. The other one, Torvosaurus tanneri, lived at the same time in North America. It was known from the states of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and was identified in 1979.
Its genus name, Torvosaurus, means "savage lizard." Its species name, gurneyi, honours James Gurney, the author and illustrator of the popular Dinotopia book series.
Torvosaurus gurneyi was not the only meat-eating dinosaur in its neighbourhood. For example, there was a European species of the well-known North American Jurassic predator Allosaurus, but the Torvosaurus found in Portugal was larger.
Torvosaurus gurneyi not only is the largest known meat-eating dinosaur from Europe, but is the biggest land predator of any kind ever found on the continent, they added.
There were larger dinosaur carnivores elsewhere, however. Tyrannosaurus in North America, Carcharodontosaurus and Spinosaurus in North Africa and Giganotosaurus in Argentina all were bigger, but appeared on Earth much later than Torvosaurus, during the Cretaceous Period that followed the Jurassic Period.
"This animal, Torvosaurus, was already a fossil for 80 million years before the TRex ever walked the Earth," Dr Mateus said.


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Benefits Overview
Minnesota State Mankato offers an excellent benefits package for eligible employees. Eligibility is determined by several factors including type and length of employment and the applicable collective bargaining agreement or personnel plan. (NOTE: Not all employees may be eligible.) For more information visit the Benefits section of our web site at www.mnsu.edu/hr/benefits/
Insurance, Retirement & Paid Time Off
The University offers Health & Dental Insurance, Life & Disability Insurance, Pre-tax Benefits, Long-Term Care Insurance, and several Retirement Savings Plans (mandatory & voluntary). In addition, eligible employees receive paid time off, including sick and vacation leave. (Refer to applicable bargaining agreement/personnel plan for eligibility, criteria, and usage.)
Adjunct should also refer to the Adjunct Faculty Handbook - Retirement & Insurance.
Tuition Waiver Benefits
In addition employees may be eligible for tuition waiver benefits.(Refer to the applicable collective bargaining agreement or personnel plan for specifics on eligibility, criteria, and usage.)
- For a brief overview see: Tuition Waiver Matrix
- Adjunct should also refer to the Adjunct Faculty Handbook - Tuition Waiver
- More Info and to Log In: Tuition Waiver System
Human Resources
336 Wigley Administration Center
Important Stuff
- Not all employees are eligible.
- Eligibility is determined by several factors including type and length of employment as well as applicable bargaining agreement/personnel plan.
General Benefit Summaries
- IFO Summary 2019 (Faculty)
- Classified Summary 2019 (Support Staff)
- Administrator Summary 2019
- ASF Summary 2019 (Administrative & Service Faculty)
- IFO Summary 2018 (Faculty)
- Classified Summary 2018 (Support Staff)
- Administrator Summary 2018
- ASF Summary 2018 (Administrative & Service Faculty)
For more information regarding benefits refer to the applicable bargaining contract or personnel plan at the following web page:


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FRIDAY, June 10, 2011 (HealthDay News) -- People seem to base their opinion of a psychotherapist's abilities on the appearance of their office, research suggests.
The study included 242 college students who were shown photographs of offices belonging to actual psychotherapists in Manhattan. After viewing the photos, the participants gave higher marks for quality and qualifications to psychotherapists whose offices were neat and orderly, featured personal elements such as framed photos and diplomas, and were decorated with soft items such as pillows and throw rugs.
There were no differences in results between people who had seen a therapist and those who hadn't, men and women, people of different ages, or people from small towns or large cities. This suggests that the findings apply across the general population, the Ohio State University researchers said.
"People seem to agree on what the office of a good therapist would look like and, especially, what it wouldn't look like," study co-author Jack Nasar, a professor of city and regional planning, said in a university news release.
"Whether it is through cultural learning or something else, people think they can judge therapists just based on their office environment," he added.
"The top-rated offices also pointed to the importance of softness and order," Nasar said. "For the top five offices, participants most frequently described the office as comfortable, nice, clean, warm and inviting." The words used to describe the offices at the bottom of the rating scale were "cluttered," "cramped," "messy," "uncomfortable" and "unprofessional," he noted.
"These results suggest that someone visiting a therapist in a low-rated office for the first time may not want to come back," he explained. "I would tell therapists to keep their offices soft and friendly looking. Put up your diplomas and personalize the office. Arrange everything in a neat and orderly way and keep it that way."
The study was released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the Journal of Counseling Psychology.
More information
McGill University has more about psychotherapy.