text:
Michael Palascak discusses his fear of ghost babies, his mixed feelings about SUVs and living with his parents after college.
So great to see all of you.
Great to see you, too, uh...
I was staying ata hotel recently,
and usually peoplethat work at hotels,
they want you to feel good.
They want to take care of you,make sure everything is okay.
But sometimes they don't.
Like one time, I tried to geta late check-out at a hotel
and the lady, the lady,like, freaked out.
I was like,"Can I get a late check-out?"
She's like,"Oh, I don't have that power."
Can we summon someone who does?
By the power of Hotelskull!
I wanted to be like, "You got tobelieve in yourself.
"Maybe you do have that power
and you don't even know it."
One time, I was in a reallysmall town,
and they didn't have hotels.
So they put me upat a bed and breakfast,
which is the exactsame thing as a hotel
except at someone's house.
Like, a familyalready lives there.
I felt like an orphanthat had a new family.
I wanted to rebel immediately.
What time do youwant breakfast tomorrow?
"I know how to live my life!
I'm going to leave tomorrowand never come back."
They were nice people.It was a nice place.
They just had a lot of antiques.
And antiques are great,but they're old,
so maybe justget rid of them. Yeah?
Maybe just get rid of them.
Like in the corner of the roomthat I was supposed to sleep in,
was a small empty antique crib.Yeah... yeah.
Just in the room that I wassupposed to sleep in.
Just an empty... crib.
Empty wooden crib. That's...that's not something
I requestedwhen I checked in.
"Sir, is everything okay?"
Yeah, but can I get a place fora ghost-baby to sleep?
I really want to playpeek-a-boo all night long
and not even know it.That's how I sleep at night.
I can't sleep with a possibleghost-baby in my room.
I don't know how I'd take careof a real baby,
let alone a ghost-baby.
Like a real baby cries,you give it food
or you walk away quickly.
A ghost-baby cries, there's waymore to it than that.
There's revenge issues.
There's a reasonit's not at rest.
But at the same time,it's a baby,
so it doesn't know how tocommunicate very well yet.
I just end updriving around like,
"Which hospital burnt down?
"Point at it as we pass!
"I can't understand youwhen you just yell...
"You better be in your car seat.
You can't just say wordsthat happen to be true
and ignore the problem.
I can't do that. I know that.
When I was a kid,my mom'd be like,
"Michael, how comeyour dad's the only one
taking out the garbage?"
I'd be like,"Because no one is helping him."
I'm glad that I could provide
that informationto you right now.
I feel like I have metall the requirements
of this conversation.
Okay, I'll go help.
I'm Catholic, my mom's ancestryis Irish Catholic,
so she's super Catholic.
(scattered whooping)Yeah? Right?
Whenever my brothers or I didsomething wrong
when we were kids,that's when all
the religious ragewould come out, yeah.
She'd be like,"Who broke the fish bowl?
Jesus, Mary and Joseph."
My brother would be like,"Wow, we should
go tell her it was us."
I'd be like, "No, we're not evenone of the top three suspects.
"We're not even in the line-upright now. We're fine.
"And shut up, we're Catholic.Jesus died for our sins.
He won't mind taking the heaton a fish bowl."
It's in the Bible.
It's hard being Catholicas you get older.
There's a lot of rulesthat are hard to follow.
Like if you're Catholic,you're not supposed to
have sex tillyou get married.
Which is good, I guess, if youdon't want to have kids,
or get diseases. What happens ifyou die before we get married?
That's not fair.
Then you go to heaven a virgin.
And you might have tohave sex with a terrorist.
I don't make the rules.
I just mixthem up in my head.
the other day.
I'm a big fan of their music.
On this day, I went in thereand ordered
a bagel and cream cheese.
And I went to sit down,and I realized
that they had given mea spoon to eat that with.
Just a spoon, a bagel, and alittle thing of cream cheese.
And that's not how I eat that.
I don't scoopthe cream cheese in my face
and then bite the bageland just shake it up.
I'm like Cody from Step by Stepmaking chocolate milk.
It's a very specific reference.
If you didn't get it,that's on me.
I think it was J.T. anyways,uh...
So I went up to the lady, I wentup to the lady, I was like,
"You gave me a spoon.I need a knife."
She said, "We are out of knives,so I gave you a spoon."
Oh, okay.
You just said most of the samewords I said as the problem.
But you said it as ifit were a solution.
Are you a barista or a Jedi?
"These are not the knivesyou are looking for."
They're spoons, I said that.
A lot of my friends arehaving kids, having babies,
and it must be exciting.
They get to, uh, they get tomake a lot of decisions
for their kid's future.
Like, they get to decidewhether they're going
to have their childon a leash harness or not.
It's always weird for meto see in public,
just a mom tied to her son.
Was that motherin the delivery room like,
"Yeah, you can cut that cordbut I ordered my own.
"And it looks like a monkey.
"And now I have a baby and amonkey. I always wanted both.
In my opinion, the only timeit makes sense
for a parent to have their childon a leash harness,
is if that parent is blind.
Then we're all working together.
Give the dog a Saturday offand see where
the seeing-eye-child takes you.
You can give him a littleT-shirt, says
"Don't make funny faces at me.I'm working"
I don't mean to judge,like, if you
have your kidson a leash harness.
Maybe they're fast.I don't know.
It's just not somethingI grew up with.
My parents nevertied me up, like...
They gave my older brothera whistle one time
when we went to Sea World. Yeah,they gave my older brother
a whistle whenwe went to Sea World.
And that must be scarier to getthan a leash harness.
Like, at least with the leashharness, the parents being like,
"Look, if you're going down,then I'm going down with you."
With the whistle, it's like,
"We're probably goingto lose you.
"So when we do,start blowing this whistle,
"and when thedolphin show's over,
we'll come find youright away."
most part, Indiana...
(crowd applauds)Yeah... oh, wow.
It's well represented.
I, uh, it's weird,I grew up in a small town.
It's weird growing upin a small town
because everyone still triedto be cool in high school,
even though no onereally knew how.
Like, one of my friends in myjunior year of high school
got a hoop earring in one year,which is fine,
do whatever you want.I don't care.
Next week, came back,he had a hoop earring
in the other ear, too.I was like,
"Oh, someone is not sureabout something."
I must inquire.
I was like, "Why'd you get ahoop earring in one ear
"last week, and now you havea hoop earring in both ears?
This week was one on layaway?Like what's going..."
My friend said this, he waslike, "Well, the guy said,
"if you get a hoop earring inone ear, that means you're gay.
"If you get a hoop earringin both ears,
that means you're straight."
I was like, "I don't knowif that's true.
But that is a great wayto sell earrings."
They should do thatwith other products.
Right? Like, "How manyiPhones do you own?"
"I'll just take one iPhone."
"Oh, so you like guys."
I went to college.I was an English major
when I was in college.(scattered whooping)
Yeah... Oh, yeah. Yeah.
A lot of Indiana Englishmajors today.
I was an English majorwhen I was in college.
I didn't get a lotof job interviews,
being an English major.
I should have saw that coming.
My mom thoughtI was going to be a teacher
'cause she was a teacher.
We'd be likea mother-son teaching duo.
You know? Saving the worldfrom dangling participles.
♪ Do-do-do-do...!
She'd be, like,
"Michael, are you goingto be a teacher like me?"
I'm, like, "No..."
"I'm going to dowhat I went to school for."
"I'm going to be English."
(British accent):"Would you like some tea, sir?"
"Bloody nice lift, eh?"
"Harry Potter."
I had one interviewwhen I finished college,
but it wasn't even for,like, a real company.
It was, like,one of those pyramid schemes,
where they try to intimidate youinto working there,
'cause they're not reallygoing to pay you at all.
It's, like,"Michael, if we hire you,
"in ten to 12 months,you could be owning
"and running your own company.
Does that scare you?"
I'm like, "No,but it should scare you."
I was an English major.(chuckles)
The only thingI know about capitalism
is if I see a period,
the next lettershould be bigger.
(applause and cheering)
because I really loved themand I had no money.
And... I really loved them,and I had no money, uh...
It was weird 'cause we wereon different sleep schedules
'cause they had jobsor whatever.
And, like, sometimesmy dad would call me from work,
and he'd wake me up,and you get upset.
I don't know what he expected.
He'd be like, "Michael,it's 1:00 in the afternoon.
Why are you just waking upat 1:00 in the afternoon?"
I'm just like, "Well..."
"I forgot to putmy cell phone on silent."
"Michael,you're better than this.
I'm like,"I know, it's a rookie mistake."
When I finished college,I drove my parents' car
back from collegeto their house,
so I thought that meantthat that car was mine, um...
They didn't think that.I don't know
what their problem was.
So, I finally had to buy a car,uh, and it was hard,
to decide what kind of carI wanted to buy.
'Cause I wanted to buy a car
that was really goodfor the environment.
But I also wantedto buy an SUV...
so I could see the environment
before it's destroyed by SUVs.
It was tough, like,
'cause they-they, make, like--all the things I read--
like, they make hybrid SUVs.
But everyone...everything I read, was, like,
"Well, it's not likethe most awesome SUV."
"And it's not, like,the best hybrid."
It's like, "Here's a donut.It's healthy.
Just eat the middle air part."
Zero caloriesin that air right there.
Smells just like a donut.
I ended up test-drivinga bunch of cars.
I test-drove an SUV,
and I felt like a manfor the first time ever.
So, I immediately just startedconvincing myself
it was goodfor the environment anyways.
It's like,"V8, that's a healthy juice."
That's why the sky's orange.It's beta carotene.
You should look at it.It's good for your eyes.
Rabbits don't wear glasses.
One of my friends is, like,"Michael, you got an SUV?
What about the glaciers?What about the rainforest?"
I'm, like,"I got four-wheel drive.
We can go where ever you want."
"No, Michael, what aboutour carbon footprint."
"Whoa, how do we even knowthat's our footprint."
Maybe we shouldn't take creditfor that footprint.
Maybe that's whereJesus carried us.
It's a much happier endingto that poem.
"Jesus, where were you?"
"Yeah, that's when I picked youup in my Escalade,
and we wentand got McFlurries."
(laughter and applause)
"Through the drive-thru,I carried you."
I liked my car a lot. It hada GPS that updated for traffic.
Which is great. Sometimesit wasn't great, though.
Like one time,I was leaving Chicago,
and it updated for traffic,
and it took me downa part of Homan Avenue
where three people that morningwere shot and murdered.
Yeah... of coursethere's less traffic.
There are three less peoplealive in that area
to get into traffic.
in the dorms when I wasin college, and it was fun.
One of my friends was the RAof our dorm
my sophomore year of school.
It was cool. Sometimesit's weird, 'cause
he'd push the RA information onus on how to keep people safe.
Sometimes he's, like,"Michael, listen up.
"Michael,stop playing Mario Kart.
"Just listen to me, Michael.
"I don't care if it's RainbowRoad. Michael, listen to me.
"I don't care if it's Bowseron Rainbow Road, which is hard
"'cause he falls off, takeslonger to get going again.
I understand that as an RA.I'm still a person."
"Michael, did you knowthe most common song
for a college student to commitsuicide to is 'Freebird?'"
Yeah, I was, like,"Wow, that must take forever."
(laughter, applauseand cheering)
That's a really long song.
You could die of natural causestrying to kill yourself.
"What happened?"
"He had a heart attackduring the third guitar solo.
"It was the live version.
He died of irony."
"I know it's irony, 'causeI just came from English class
where we learnedabout irony. Yeah."
"Wow, I just learnedabout irony,
"then I foundan ironic situation.
I wish there was a wordto describe that."
I had a girlfriend in college.I liked her a lot.
I remember on our first date
when we were leavingthe restaurant,
she showed methat she had stolen
the two glassesfrom the restaurant.
I was like,"We're going out again."
"We're going to Best Buy."
"Right now,put on some cargo pants.
We're going Christmas shoppingfor my parents."
"Yeah, Oliver Twists..."
It's weird dating someonein school, though,
'cause you graduate,and sometimes
you go your separate waysfor jobs or whatever.
Like, I got a job living at homewith my parents, and, uh...
I aced that interview.
I was like, "I'm your son, andI don't have a place to live.
"Help me move thisPac-Man video game machine
into the dining room."
It's really heavy.
"Michael, that's not goingin the dining room."
"Whatever, that's where we eat.That's where he eats."
(applause and cheering)
Facebook isn't very goodfor relationships when they'reover
because at any point in time,you can go online
and look at pictures of girlsyou used to date.
Like, if you're boredor have nothing to do,
or that's how you fall asleepat night.
For me,it always starts out simple.
I'm just like, "Oh,I wonder what she's doing."
And then five minuteslater, I'm, like,
"I wonderwhat they're all doing."
"Girls I dated,girls I thought I dated,
but she just neededa ride home a lot." Like, ah...
I think it's hard sometimes'cause I travel a lot.
And sometimesI meet someone, and I...
I don't know that personthat well, and I have
to make conversation with them.
And sometimesit's hard, you know?
And one time, I was hanging outwith a friend,
and then her friends startedhanging out with us.
And it was fine, and then,they needed a ride home,
so I was giving thema ride home,
and one friend--they'd been drinking--
my one friend just sort ofpassed out in the back seat.
So, I had to make conversationwith this new person.
And I kind of freaked outa little bit.
Like, in my head, I was, like,"All right, I have siblings.
"I'll just ask herabout her siblings.
"Whatever she says, great.
"And then I'll come back withmy awesome sibling stories,
"and she'll be, like,'Oh, my gosh.
"'He has something to relateto what I just said.
"'What an awesome guy.
That-That's a great person.'"
So, I was, like,"Do you have siblings?"
And she was, like, "No."
Yeah. It wasn'tjust a "no," though.
It was, like, a "no," like, a...
As if... as ifshe used to have siblings,
and me asking that questionwas like a landmine of truth
that explodedand murdered everybody
that ever made her happy.
So I didn't come backon my sibling stories.
It just didn't seem right.
It was just quiet in the car
for, like,the next five minutes,
and then, she was, like,
"Both my sisters diedin a car accident."
Yeah. That sucks for her,obviously,
but it kind of sucksfor me, too. Like...
There's no wayto make that situation lighter.
But I drop her off.
Like, "Oh, we made it!"


text:
By KEN LARSONEmery County Progress publisher
Every once in a while it's necessary to remind our readers of the various scams that are played upon uninitiated by the criminals of this world. There have always been scams but its seems with the advance of the internet and increased technology there are more and more unsuspecting people getting ripped off. And, as the holidays approach and the season of charitable giving is here, more and more people will be victims.One particularly expensive scam currently taking place has been brought to my attention. Never respond to e-mails, telephone calls or Web pagers that tell you to call and "809" telephone number. The "809" is an advertisement that alerts you to a scam that is quickly spreading and can easily cost you a lot of money. It is difficult to avoid unless you are aware of it.
How it works: You receive a message on your answering machine or pager that asks you to call a number beginning with area code 809. The reason you are asked to call varies. It can be to receive information about a family member who has been ill, to tell you someone has been arrested or died, to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since these are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call the 809 number, you may be put on hold for a long period of time, or you will get a long recording message. They will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. When you get your telephone bill, you'll learn you have been charged a high price for the call.
Why it works: The 809 area code is located in Dominican Republic and can be used as a pay-per-call number, similar to 900 numbers in the United States. There is no requirement that you be notified and warned of charges and rates involved because it is not covered by U. S. regulations. This year's most appropriate holiday gift may be a charity donation made on behalf of a loved one, but watch out for con artists. Most charity fundraising is legitimate, but fraud activity increases during the holidays because people are in a giving mood. Because con artists often capitalize on recent disasters, consumers still need to be especially careful when donating to relief efforts such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Even though the disaster was well over a year ago scams are still being conducted around the attacks. It gives you some idea how ruthless these people are, because they target well-known events where immediate help is needed. Fortunately most con artists are fairly easy to spot once you know what to look for. To avoid being taken advantage of here are few suggestions. Stick with charities you know and trust. Initiate contact yourself. Legitimate charities maintain offices staffed with employees eager to hear from you, while con artists have to locate potential victims with roving in-person appeals, telemarketing and mailing. Ask questions. If you're approached by an unfamiliar charity, ask for the organization's full name, local street address, purpose of their current fundraising and how the money will be used. Ask for written materials and say you'll consider the request letter. Take your time. Beware of fund-raisers who won't take no for an answer, or claim they have deadlines to meet. And, beware of high-pressure tactics. Legitimate charities value their reputations and don't use dramatic emotional appeals.
A couple other suggestions this season is to watch out for credit card fraud when you are shopping this season. Take only the cards you will use. Make sure you get your card back after making your purchases. Be sure to take the receipt, including the carbon copies. Crooks who steal your cards or receipts use the information on them to make fraudulent charges to your accounts. Watch out for bogus loan or credit offers. They are often pitches to consumers who need extra money for holiday shopping. You may see the ads in the classified sections of large daily newspapers, in supermarket tabloids, or bulletin boards, even tacked on telephone poles. If you're asked to pay a fee to get a loan or a credit card, it's probably a scam.
If something sounds too good to be true it usually is, never send cash through the mail, and don't give your credit card number over the telephone.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We are interested in your feedback on these cards! Please send us an email at hoops.beta[ at ]baseballprospectus.com with any questions or comments. Basketball Prospectus statistical data is updated three times per week.
Alex Acker
Detroit Pistons
View player page at basketball-reference.com
Position: SG
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 185 lbs.
From: Pepperdine
Experience: 1
Uniform#: 6
Primary Statistics
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text:
Skip to comments.Reporter who sailed with Abby Sunderland shares perspective
Posted on 06/17/2010 7:18:48 PM PDT by GatorGirl
I don't know Abby Sunderland as well as those close to her, but I think I know her better than other reporters and columnists know her.
I've interviewed the Thousand Oaks teenager several times, and before she set out to chase a dream and try to circle the planet on a 40-foot yacht, I sailed with her through the night aboard that yacht, Wild Eyes, which by now probably rests at the bottom of the Indian Ocean.
Same goes for Abby's older brother, Zac. While working for the Los Angeles Times, I followed his 13-month around-the-world odyssey from the beginning, providing frequent blog posts and newspaper updates.
And yes, I've met the parents, and the brothers and sisters. I never became close to the family; my interactions were all during story assignments. But I gained some insight that other reporters and columnists do not have as they digest and regurgitate information regarding Abby's recent rescue, after Wild Eyes was slammed in heavy seas between Africa and Australia.
Thus, because Abby and her family have become such a curiosity and so glaring a target, here are a few observations, quotes and anecdotes that might provide a better understanding of Abby, 16, and the sailing Sunderlands:
(Excerpt) Read more at petethomasoutdoors.com ...
This is an article from a reporter who followed the story for the LA Times. As most of you know I'm a Sunderland Skeptic. But in the interest of being "fair and balanced" the article is pretty pro-Abby. And that's fine. But here is the money quote:
-- Was Wild Eyes ill-prepared or just plain jinxed? It seemed everything that could go wrong did go wrong from the time the Sunderlands bought the speedy cruising sled on the East Coast. I joined Abby and Laurence for the delivery of Wild Eyes from Ensenada, Mexico, to San Diego. The trip began in late afternoon and lasted through the night because there was either no wind or a strong headwind -- and because a massive clump of kelp had wrapped around Wild Eyes' keel. All of this turned a 12-hour sail into a 17-hour sail that required, at the very end, a tow by Vessel Assist.
Abby showed me a lot that night, though. She did not utter a single complaint and she did not sleep; and when Wild Eyes docked at the Customs office in San Diego she had to fend off accusations from Zac, who was aboard a companion vessel, that she must have at least dozed off. Zac then donned a mask, grabbed a large knife, dove in and cut the kelp from the keel."
GG again: Throughout this mostly pro-Abby article, this is the most telling. Her only "training" on the vessel was from Ensenada to MdR with her father, brother and a reporter and she couldn't deal with headwinds or kelp AND THEY NEEDED A TOW INTO THE MARINA??????
This was on December 6 and she departed a mere seven weeks later on January 23. Seven weeks to learn the boat she couldn't even sail on December 6? YIKES!!!!
"Her only "training" on the vessel was from Ensenada to MdR with her father, brother and a reporter and she couldn't deal with headwinds or kelp AND THEY NEEDED A TOW INTO THE MARINA??????"
I've read numerous other articles that pointed out at least 3 years of sailing. Since her brother sailed and her dad taught sailing I think I'll go with this.
If the motor wasn't working or didn't have fuel just what should she have done? You don't sail a boat up to the dock.
You're adding facts about fuel and the motor.
The reporter indicates it was because of too much kelp on the keel.
My 14 y/o has been sailing since infancy but has never crewed on a major race or sailed solo out of sight of land. There is no indication she did either. He's not qualified to do a solo round the world and neither was she.
See Jessica Watson's documented list of accomplishments and compare them to Abby's. This media-hungry family would surely list her sailing accomplishments had she any.
Note also that this guy's account varies wildly with that on the same date on Abby's blog. She doesn't mention any problems, motor issues or tow.
Seems to be the chic thing to dog this young lady. Yet the Aussie gets treated with accolades.
Lesson - America loves a winner and will destroy a loser.
What a crock.
It wouldn't make a damn bit of difference if Child Protective Services sat down and "made sure" a 16 year old girl wasn't being coerced into being with a sex offender would it? But somehow, sending a child where there is a high probability of physical danger is somehow different...
"that yacht, Wild Eyes, which by now probably rests at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Same goes for Abby's older brother, Zac."
Yep, it's sad.
Australia - no debt.
USA - elected Obama. It's no contest!
It's not chic, it's sensible.
It's unfortunate she tried to do this in pursuit of a "record" instead of safely, sanely, and with proper experience and training.
It's a symptom of America these days. Seek fame and fortune instead of doing something purely for the love of adventure.
If it truly was for the love of adventure or to fulfill a "life long dream" would it really matter if she had waited a year or two? Of course not!!
Good article. I think Abby is a great kid and will become an outstanding adult.
"You dont sail a boat up to the dock."
That thesis seems to have quite a challenge from the history of sailing.
Interesting logic. Perhaps there should be a law that future sailors should check in with your kids attainments before they try something.
It's also interesting that the reporter who file this story spent a lot of time with Abby and her family, and as a result had a positive perspective about Abby, and felt that she and her parents pursued this trip safely and sanely with proper preparation and appropriate skill.
So it sure is good that you managed to post this in a negative light, before people got the wrong idea.
And Barack Obama taught Constitutional Law. And tracking any verification of the Sunderland family sailing claims is about as fruitful as looking for Barack's college transcripts.
This is a sailing instructor wannabe
This is a sailing school run by offshore racing professionals, a school with a difference!
And they probably can't afford her these days, but in years past, one of their sailing dingy instructors was a girl named Jessica Watson.
Another article by a mainstream journalist with no understanding of ocean sailing and weather issues.
Sure, everyone who is of the "ra-ra-ra go for it mentality" has a point about not listening to naysayers, etc. etc. But the fact of THIS case --as distinct from Zac's case-- had to do with sailing in the Southern Ocean, below 40 degrees South latitude, and in the winter, which no experienced offshore sailor with any sense of safety and reality would ever recommend doing, especially for a comparatively inexperienced 16 year old sailor. By comparison, Zac's circumnavigation via the trade wind route was extremely safe and benign.
The failure to understand the route, timing and (in) experience level in Abby's case --and the fact that the parents were hoping to make some money and a celebrity out of her-- is the crux of the matter.
Posted by: Steve | Jun 16, 2010 at 03:55 PM
So now sailing is the same as being POTUS? laughable, you destroy your own argument.
No what I saying is that Laeurence Sunderlands claim to the title "Sailing Instructor" are about as merited as Barack's claim to the title "Constitutional Law Professor". All hat no cattle.
You do realize what he does for a living? But hey some 16 yr old Aussie chick must have better credentials then him. After all she was successful.
So did a guy named Ted Caloroso who filmed Abby's preparations for departure and he sees things quite differently.
It's amazing how people twist things around. I never said because my 14 y/o isn't qualified to circumnavigate taking the southern route no other teenager is. Jessica Watson just did it! Sheesh!
But you've caused me to rethink things. I'm going to start working on sponsorships and buy him a boat and send him out later this year. That way, he'll finish at 15. I'm sure he'll make it and we will become RICH! And if not, well, life is full of risks.
Have a great day...my kids and I are planning to go.....sailing!
Brendan Candella: "I wonder why the world is in the condition it is in. We sit in our homes and worry about other people trying to do extraordinary things, even though they may be dangerous or a little crazy. Well it's the crazy ones that will be remembered and be the ones to do great things that will have a great impact upon this world and human race.I now remind all the chattering, clattering and hectorating class of "ocean sailors" that Abbey LIVES!
"We condemn those who wish to risk everything to enjoy their lives no matter what there age or intention. You know why? It is because we are unhappy with our lives, because we do not have the courage or the guts to do extraordinary things. Everyone who makes a case against this girl wishes to prevent disaster, but the one thing they do is to assure mediocrity. Abby don't give up ever, keep fighting until you cannot fight anymore to fulfill your dreams. Good luck with your adventures."
She did not die according to the miserable "logics" of envy and jealousy that some are applying in this case. And that makes those chatterers very upset.
Instead they might try appreciating her great accomplishment.
Abbey sailed more than halfway around the world and survived a wicked storm. Be happy! Enjoy!
I don't know which "camp" is correct in the argument of youngsters doing dangerous things like sailing. But it did call to my mind the Jessica Dubroff tragedy where the 7 year old was trying to fly around the globe and died.
I find it astonishing that you think people are envious and jealous because they clearly see that this trip was not well planned and Abby not experienced enough to do this.
Did you know that Jessica Watson collided with another boat and was dismasted? She got her boat back into harbor. What did Abby do? Nothing. She hit emergency beacons and left her deck littered. Can you not see the difference between the 2 sailors?
Likewise, using your "logic" I must be awful tired of the airline pilots who simply cannot land a distressed jet on the Hudson river with no loss of life.
Address what I said. Can you not see the difference between the 2 sailors?
Look up "90 day wonder". Get some historical perspective, please!
Again you dance around it. Jessica was dismasted and dealt with it. Abby didn't know what to do and quit. Can you not see the difference between the 2 sailors?
Ma'am, each made the decision they determined was the best in their circumstance.
Nah. What's a symptom of America these days is to sit and gripe from the couch when other people do more interesting things with their lives than we do.
Abby didn't either know enough or couldn't cut away her mast. Nor did she clean her deck as she left "foot traps" all over. That is not a knowledgeable sailor. What if she had caught her foot in that mess and gone overboard while waiting for rescue? This young girl may know how to sail but not well enough to attempt this trip.
I hope the rest of your day is productive too. :-)
You think you know more then she did. You do not. I suggest that you revoke your membership in the Monday Morning Quarterbacks, Nitpickers, and Second Guessers Association.
You can insult all that you want. It's childish and doesn't change facts. When faced with the same challenges as Watson, Abby couldn't do it.
My grandad used to have his walls covered with pictures like this, ships in distress at sea. The other theme of reproduction prints he had where pastorals, like:
The sea ...
Very nice. It has nothing to do with Abby's lack of skill but the paintings are very nice.
Watson's yacht Ella's Pink Lady was dismasted as a result of the collision, but Watson was able to cut the headsail free, retrieve the mast, the mainsail and the rigging on board and motor the damaged yacht to Southport on the Gold Coast.
Abby left hers dangle.
Watson, now 17, arrived in Sydney last month after circumnavigating the globe, alone and unassisted, in seven months.
Once Abby's sat phone was done, so was she. Abby didn't have enough experience to do this.
Watson also had wild winds, large swells and several knockdowns but she had experience.
Abby is a very skilled sailor from a family of skilled sailors. She sailed more than halfway around the world. That is the evidence to her skill.
Oh. I remember a point I would like to make.
The sea is harsh. Abbey learned that lesson more than the Ozzie girl, imo.
Who will be better the better sailor now? My understanding of human nature says — Abbey. The Ozzie girl is being force fed hubris fro what I gather per your postings. Hubris and the Sea do not get along.
Abbey was humbled by the Sea, a proper lesson!
And Daddy had to come and help her twice. She had to stop twice because of equipment failure and she couldn't deal with it.
Abbey learned that lesson more than the Ozzie girl, imo.
Abby learned that tech toys won't get you around the world but actual training will.
The Ozzie girl is being force fed hubris fro what I gather per your postings.
Watson reads my posts?
2. She herself says that she saw winds greater than 40 knots just once. Once. And what happened?
1. A leisurely family cruise from California to Baja California does not a "family of skilled sailors" make.
Then there is the question of understanding what she would face. Just how many Round the World sailors did she talk to before she set out? How many did RTW below the Great Capes?
How many times did he see winds greater than 40 knots I wonder? Actually I wonder if the grumblers and naybobbers know? They know all about Abbey, though, so as to beat up on the wee lass.
What point are you trying to made?
He isn't. He's posting nonsensical stuff so that we'll go away and quit stating facts.
Thesis: In our times honest endeavor and honorable courage are mocked by the wicked.
It isn't wicked to point out that a child embarked on a dangerous trip with little training and was ill prepared. It is wicked to coverup such a thing.
Do you agree or disagree with my thesis as stated?
Neither. It would depend on the application, wouldn't it. You can take a single Bible verse and misuse it.
There is filth on the floor and it must be scraped up with the muck-rake; and there are times and places where this service is the most needed of all the services that can be performed. But the man who never does anything else, who never thinks or speaks or writes, save of his feats with the muck-rake, speedily becomes, not a help to society, not an incitement to good, but one of the most potent forces for evil.
The Ozzie girl is being force fed hubris fro what I gather per your postings.
You idolize Abby . Watson can't be a better sailor. You won't accept that. So you attack Watson for her achievement and protect Abby from her failure. Now what do you think of your "thesis"? It works both ways, doesn't it.
Now. I want you to keep in mind that this is a discussion forum where people give their opinions. That doesn't make them evil if they disagree with you. That doesn't make them muckrakers. But you are desperate to silence other posters with which you disagree. Even if you have to use veiled insults. And I find that sad.
Then during the course of the article he says: "It might have been a blessing that Wild Eyes was rolled and lost its mast, because the storms Abby was sure to encounter as she sailed closer to Australia could have been deadly.
I'm confused......
My criticism of this parent approved folly is precisely directed at the ultimate failure of the craft rather than the sailing skill of the child. Hell, anyone can sail around the world with the electronics that were installed on this girl's boat but you are still at the mercy of the weather conditions and the hope that the boat can withstand them........
The boat failed but fortunately the electronics saved her parents from losing a child.
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Mustangs one win away from snapping 4-year playoff drought
SWEETWATER, Texas - Sweetwater needs one more win to end a four year playoff drought.
It won't be an easy task since their last two opponents are Monahans and Wylie, each of the two teams in district 4-3A.
The Mustangs are fresh off their biggest win of the year beating Big Spring 42-9. That performance was the most complete effort first year head coach Shane Mobley has seen thus far this season.
"They showed the potential that they have we believed in them ever since we got here," Mobley told KTXS. "We tried to preaching to them about executing and what they can do. Size doesn't matter the size of your heart is bigger then anything."
The Mustangs' offense has gotten on track with the progression of sophomore quarterback Keegan Jeffrey. He's quickly learning how to deal with the pressure that comes under center.With their playoff lives on the line, Jeffery had his most efficient outing yet (15-22, 268 yds, 3 TD) in Friday's win over Big Spring.
"He's handled the pressure pretty well," says senior Ryan Linebaugh. "From the very get go you could tell he was kinda tight nervous and throughout the games he's loosened up like against big spring he loosened up really good and just played ball like he knew how."
With two games left Sweetwater controls their playoff destiny.
One win, and they're in.
The concept of being in control of that destiny is foreign in Linebaugh and the rest of Sweetwater's seniors who have never played in a single playoff game.
"It's way different," Linebaugh told KTXS. "Cause it's not just like oh we only have two games and we have next year now it's like we have a lot of potential we don't wanna lose it again and go down the drain and then just have a bad four years all over again. If we just show all the underclassmen what it's like to go to the playoffs that might spark the fire and bring back the tradition."
Sweetwater hosts Monahans Friday, November 2nd at the Mustang bowl at 7:30pm.
Recent Headlines
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- Recycling, parking, discussed at special Abilene City Council meeting


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By PATSY STODDARDEditor
The "Many Running Children" tribe converged at their preschool for a mini powwow on Nov. 25 in Huntington. Their teacher Carol Ann Stream said, "They have spent the last few weeks learning about the first Thanksgiving and preparing for their powwow. They have constructed amulets made out of seeds and they also made either bear or eagle claw necklaces. They made headbands with feathers and drums out of oatmeal containers.
"We had authentic Indian pow wow music provided by Tillie Winder. We also made buckskin vests out of paper sacks. The children have really enjoyed making the items in preparation for their powwow. They all wanted to take everything home immediately to show their parents and it was hard for them to wait for the big day. We have also made Indian stew this month and the children all brought a vegetable from home and


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text:
Responsibility to Protect
Statement for Peace Islands Institute
on The Responsibility to Protect: Implications to the Crises in Syria and Other Nations
by Herman Schaper
Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations in New York
New York, 28 February 2013
Nearly two years ago, on March 17 2011, the Security Council of the UN took one of the most important decisions of its 66 years existence. In resolution 1973 it affirmed, clearly and unequivocally the international community's determination to fulfill its responsibility to protect the civilian population in Libya from the violence against them by their own government. It also authorized the use of all necessary measures in order to protect civilians and civilian populated areas. And all necessary measures do includes military action.
In contrast, the UN Security Council has hardly been able to act with regard to Syria since May 2011. Syria is clearly a R2P-situation with 70,000 deaths, 4 mln. people in need, including 2 mln. internally displaced and 936.700 registered refugees in neighboring countries, as Valerie Amos declared in the UN Security Council yesterday. But various attempts to adopt a resolution in the Security Council stranded on vetoes by Russia and China.
This difference between the international community's decisive action in Libya and its inaction in Syria is indeed stark. I am therefore pleased that the Peace Islands Institute invited me to contribute to this panel on Responsibility to Protect: Implications to the Crises in Syria and other Nations.
In my introduction, I will address the Netherlands perspective on the principle of R2P as well as its application in concrete cases, including Libya and Syria.
Development of Responsibility to Protect
The direct reason for the development of this new principle of the Responsibility to Protect were two tragedies in which the international community did not act; the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, and the mass slaughter of Bosnian civilians in Srebrenica in 1995. This led to an international discussion about what was then called humanitarian interventions. This was not an esoteric debate about theoretical concepts; in 1999 the failure of the Security Council to authorize strong measures to halt the Serbian government's violence against the Albanian population of Kosovo, at that time still part of Republic of Serbia, led to the decision of NATO to start a military air campaign, even without a SC mandate, which after three months of aerial bombardments forced Belgrade to give up control of Kosovo.
This deeply divided the international community, pitting those who denounced the intervention as illegal against others who argued that the moral imperative to prevent or put an end to mass atrocities trumped the principle of legality. To explore the possibility to bring these two positions together, the Canadian government established the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which came up with the principle of Responsibility to Protect, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2005 in paragraphs 138 and 139 of the Outcome Document of the so-called World Summit of Heads of State and Government.
The text of these two paragraphs was carefully drafted. It limited the international community's focus of R2P to four specific types of mass atrocities: genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. This focus on the four crimes is often described as "narrow", but "deep". Narrow because it applies only to the extreme circumstances of these four mass atrocities, and not to any humanitarian emergency.
Why deep? Paragraph 138 makes clear that the responsibility to protect populations against these four mass atrocities lies first of all with each individual state itself, and it calls upon the international community to encourage and help States to exercise this responsibility.
But the following paragraph 139 also recognizes the responsibility of the international community, through the United Nations, to help protect populations, should national authorities manifestly fail to protect their own populations against the four crimes. And it adds that this can mean taking collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, on the basis of Chapter VII of the Charter, which includes military action.
The international community also honored in paragraph 139 the UN Charter by giving a decisive role to the UN Security Council in the decision making with regard to collective action in R2P-situations, and the UN member states have accepted the central role of the Council, although the Council is not without its critics. Some suggestions by the ICISS-report to address some of these criticism by establishing criteria for military intervention or to request the permanent members of UNSC to refrain from using their veto power in cases of mass atrocities, were not included in these paragraphs.
Three pillars
I want to stress however that the Responsibility to Protect is much more than military intervention. The SG's 2009 Report introduced a three pillar strategy for R2P implementation;
• Pillar 1: The responsibility of the state to protect its own population
• Pillar 2: International assistance and capacity building to enable states to exercise this responsibility
• Pillar 3: The responsibility of the international community to take timely and decisive measures, if a state fails to exercise this responsibility.
Such action can take many forms – fact finding, suspension from international organizations, arms embargoes, targeted sanctions, and as a last resort, also military action.
So even pillar 3 is much more than military intervention. But military measures are the most sensitive –the UN authorizing military measures against one of its own members because of the way a government treats its own population.
The Netherlands sees Responsibility to Protect as an emerging norm, and as one of the most important recent developments in international relations together with the establishment of the International Criminal Court.
R2P is a fundamental shift in the doctrine of sovereignty, which for a long term governed the relations between states. It reflects the growing acceptance of the doctrine which places the state at the service of the individual citizen— "sovereignty as responsibility," in the term coined by scholars and practitioners Francis Deng and Roberta Cohen.
But even in the past sovereignty has rarely been regarded as entirely unqualified. Just like the doctrine of the sovereignty of states, this other doctrine, of sovereignty as responsibility, has a long history.
The Act of Abjuration, which was signed in The Hague in 1581, and which was a kind of Declaration of Independence in the revolt of the Netherlands against the King of Spain, states:
"… that God did not create the subjects for the benefit of the Prince … but rather the Prince for the sake of the subjects, without whom he would not be a Prince, to govern them justly and wisely, to support and love them as a father does his children and a shepherd his flock, and even to protect them at the risk of his own life and limb."
Four hundred years later UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan defended this idea in a speech, in which he pointed out that the old orthodoxy of state sovereignty was never absolute. ´After all", he said, "the Charter was issued in the name of the peoples, not the governments, of the United Nations. Its aim is not only to preserve international peace – vitally important though that is – but also to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person. The Charter protects the sovereignty of peoples. It was never meant as a license for governments to trample on human rights and human dignity. Sovereignty implies responsibility, not just power."
R2P is therefore not really new. The core underlying idea that states have an obligation to protect men and women from the worst atrocities is well established. Basic human rights principles were adopted in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and there is by now a substantial body of international human rights law. The United Nations adopted the Convention on Genocide already in 1948, which stated that persons committing genocide shall be punished whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals. And the protection of civilians during armed conflict is well established in international humanitarian law.
What happened with the advent of R2P was that the international community accepted for the first time its collective responsibility to take action, and if necessary even military action, should states fail to protect citizens from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, or crimes against humanity.
R2P thus imposes two obligations—the first upon each state individually, the second on the international community of states collectively. With the embrace of the responsibility to protect, a long and unresolved debate over whether to act became, instead, a discussion about how and when to act.
Application of R2P
Let me now turn to its application in real life politics, because a discussion on how and when to act is not necessarily easier than whether to act. This is exactly what we see today in the case of Syria. Syria is on the agenda of the Council and debates continue on how to act and which measure to adopt, but deep divisions exist and the suffering continues.
We have also seen however the more successful application of Responsibility to Protect in recent years, especially in less-know situations, for example Guinea or Kenya, which prevented further mass atrocities.
Guinea: on 28 September 2009, government forces in Guinea interrupted a peaceful political protest in a stadium in Conakry and opened fire on civilians. According to an investigation by Human Rights Watch, the violence resulted in over 150 civilian deaths, at least 1400 wounded, and reports of widespread sexual violence and rape. The international community responded rapidly to the crisis by increasing the pressure on the junta with a variety of tools including condemnation, mediation, arms embargoes, sanctions and threats of coercive measures. Elections were held and the crisis calmed down.
Kenya is another example where an emerging risk of mass atrocities was halted. In 2007, the results of presidential elections triggered widespread and systematic violence resulting in more than 1,000 deaths and the displacement of over 500,000 civilians. Clashes were characterized by the ethnically targeted killings of people. The international community responded swiftly. This time with the African Union in the lead based on article 4(h) of its Charter, which gives the right to the Union to intervene in a Member State in the case of grave circumstances, namely: war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The Charter of the AU was adopted in 2002, several years before the UN embraced R2P.
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan – heading the African Union Panel of Eminent Personalities was accepted by both opposing political parties in Kenya. The mediation efforts led to the signing of a power-sharing agreement on 28 February 2008. Subsequently, the international community continued to work with Kenya on issues like a new constitution, judicial and police reform, reconciliation, and early warning. The next election will be on March 4, 2013 and hopefully similar violence will not emerge again, because the situation is certainly not stable yet.
Two examples, therefore, of more or less preventive measures that halted R2P-situations and avoided possible large scale killings and other mass atrocities. We have also seen examples of more coercive efforts by the international community of the Responsibility to Protect in the case of Libya and Cote d'Ivoire in 2011.
Protests that began in the capital of Tripoli spread within weeks across the country to the city of Benghazi, which became the opposition's stronghold and was soon subject to shocking brutality as Gaddafi dispatched the national army to crush the unrest. The Libyan leader expressed clear intent to continue committing massive human rights violations by announcing to Benghazi residents that his forces would show "no mercy" to rebels. Gaddafi's intentions were clear in his speech of 22 February, when he used language reminiscent of the genocide in Rwanda and stated that he would rather die a martyr than step down. He also called on his supporters to attack the protesting "cockroaches" and "cleanse Libya house by house" until all protestors had surrendered.
Faced with Gaddafi's imminent intention to massacre the city's population, it was clear that tough international action in response to the Libyan government's manifest failure to uphold its responsibility to protect was needed to halt ongoing crimes and prevent a bloodbath.
The Arab League played an important for setting the stage for international action by calling for measures by the Security Council.
On 26 February, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1970. This resolution was adopted by consensus and affirmed the government of Libya's 'responsibility to protect'. It called for a ceasefire and for steps to fulfill the legitimate demands of the populations. It also referred the situation to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and imposed an arms embargo, a travel ban and an asset freeze.
But this did not stop Colonel Khadaffi. Threats against civilians in Benghazi became even more serious and the Security Council decided to swiftly adopt resolution 1973 on 17 March, 2011, authorizing the use of military force not against a country which had attacked another country or had committed some other act of aggression, but against a government which was attacking its own population. And in doing so, it invoked the international community's responsibility to protect civilians.
Soon after the adoption of Resolution 1973 on Libya, the Security Council also adopted a resolution on Cote d'Ivoire which used similar language on R2P. Subsequently, forces of the new President Ouattarra with support of French troops, which were stationed in the country, attacked the defeated president Gbagbo and arrested him in the presidential palace.
Unfortunately in recent years, we have also seen far less effective responses by the international community with regard to R2P-situations, for example in Darfur or a failure to take any real action at all, as was the case in Sri Lanka, even while in both situations mass atrocities were committed, which brings me to Syria.
The situation in Syria is clearly an R2P-situation. The regime, but also some of the opposing voices are committing crimes against humanity according to the various reports of the Commission of Inquiry established by the Human Rights Council, and we can see it on the news on a daily basis.
Senior UN-leadership, including the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN's Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and on the Responsibility to Protect, have called the situation in Syria an R2P-situation.
In multiple statements, the UN-leadership made clear that it was alarmed by reports of the use of indiscriminate fire by Syrian security forces and associated militias against densely populated areas in several cities, resulting in high numbers of deaths and injuries.
Mr. Adama Dieng, the UN's new special advisor for the prevention of genocide, was particularly concerned in his last statements that as the situation in Syria deteriorates further, there is a growing risk that civilian communities, including Alawite and other minorities perceived to be associated with the Government, its security forces and its militias, could be subject to large scale reprisal attacks. He also called on all actors to condemn hate speech that could constitute incitement to violence against communities based on their religious affiliation.
It is clear that the Government of Syria is manifestly failing in its responsibility to protect its population. Unfortunately, however, the UN has until now not been able to act on the commitment made by all Heads of State and Government at the 2005 World Summit to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, including their incitement.
Only small steps have been possible, such as the appointment of a Joint Envoy, first Mr. Annan and now Mr. Brahimi to try to find a political solution. But no serious pressure is applied by the UN Security Council due to multiple vetoes by China and Russia.
The argument one hears is that strong measures by the international community would mean foreign intervention which would only lead to chaos. But in reality, the opposite is true. An early strong involvement by the UN backed by appropriate Security Council resolutions and a united international community could perhaphs have prevented the situation of total chaos, which is now the reality in Syria.
In other words: the scenario of chaos that some countries predicted if the UN would have been taking early action along the lines of resolution 1970 and 1973, has emerged due to this inaction. This reminds us that both action and inaction entail serious risks and costs, and the cost of the inaction by the Security Council in relation to Syria keeps on rising every day.
Second, taking first steps by adopting a 1970-type of resolution authorizing a weapons embargo, asset freeze and other sanctions would in no means result automatically in military intervention. Russia and China continue to have their veto power for a 1973-type of resolution authorizing military action. Also the region is not calling for military action as it was in the case of Libya. This argument that taking non-military actions by the Security Council will inevitably lead to military intervention would in fact completely paralyze any Council action in any country if applied consistently.
Moreover, when in recent years this argument was used on a number of other occasions (for example when sanctions were applied against Iran and North Korea), a solution was found by referring explicitly to Article 41 of the UN Charter in the relevant Security Council resolution. This Article 41 only covers "measures not involving the use of armed force", which forms an additional guarantee that these resolutions could not be used as a legal basis for military action.
Due to this inaction of the Security Council and the unwillingness by some to use serious pressure to achieve a political solution, the call for military action is increasing heardly in societies around the world. Is this a possibility on the basis of the principle of R2P, without a Security Council mandate? The answer is: not with an appropriate legal basis. The Heads of State and Government have clearly agreed in 2005 that any collective action should be, on a case-by-case basis, agreed by the UN Security Council. So, we have no legal basis to intervene militarily without a Security Council mandate. That's how it is, and one cannot help thinking that it is a pity that the decision of the World Summit did not include an agreement that the permanent members of the Security Council would not use their veto in cases of mass atrocities.
"A new 1970"
For Syria, we therefore need to continue to work along the political tracks. From an R2P-perspective, we need to aim again for a a resolution with a strong focus on a political transition in line with the Geneva Communique agreed by the Action Group for Syria in July 2012 which outlines a framework for political transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.
A recommitment to this communiqué and its implementation is necessary and will also require unified pressure on the regime as well as other armed groups. Unified pressure could come from a weapon embargo ensuring that the conflict is not further fuelled by arms. An asset freeze by all members of the United Nations would deplete the resources which enable the continuation of the fighting and killing. And accountability is necessary, which could be achieved through a referral to the ICC.
However, agreement on such a resolution seems not realistic in the short term, because of opposition of Russia and China. In the short term, there is therefore unfortunately not much we can do except to continue what the friends of Syria are doing by providing humanitarian aid, support the opposition and engaging with Mr. Brahimi. This is highly unsatisfactory, but the commitment to the Responsibility to Protect is unfortunately not strong enough for some countries to take decisive action, so it seems, notwithstanding their signature under the 2005 Outcome document.
In conclusion
R2P has made considerable conceptual progress and further operationalization is crucial. The implementation of the Pillar 3 through the UNSC has been far less satisfactory. The UNSC is a very political body and national interests often dominate decision-making, which often results in inconsistencies in policy and practice. The arguments used by Russia and China have to be understood in the context of national interest and the primacy of the principle of national sovereignty. The doctrine of sovereignty as responsibility has not yet taken root sufficiently.
It would be also naive to believe that humanitarian motives are the only motives for countries to intervene politically or militarily. Often a mixture of interest and others motives are at play, of which some are value driven and others are inspired by self-interest. The principle of R2P enhances the value driven argument within these complex considerations.
The decisions of the World Summit of 2005 have increased tremendously the moral and political pressure on members of the Security Council and the international community at large, to refuse to accept the recurrence of mass atrocities, and to feel a responsibility to prevent or deal with them when they occur. This remains a major step forward since Rwanda and Srebrenica.
For more information contact: email@example.com


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Kyle is located in Texas.
Kyle, Texas 78640 has a population of 27,886.
The median household income in Kyle, Texas 78640 is
The median household income for the surrounding county is $57,834
compared to the national median of $53,046.
The median age of people living in Kyle 78640 is
30 years.
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Policy No. ULC.1999.008
1.1 UHCL makes every effort to maintain normal operations as scheduled. At times, however, serious emergencies may warrant closing the university and canceling scheduled classes.
1.2 This policy specifies the regulations and guidelines that are to be observed by university employees in the event of an emergency closing.
2.1 A decision to close the university on a temporary emergency basis may be made when severe weather conditions or other unforeseen occurrences present serious risk to university students and employees, property, or operations.
2.2 The decision to close the university is the responsibility of the President or a designee. In making such a decision, the President or designee may consult qualified authorities both internal and external to UHCL. Any decision for an unscheduled university closing will be transmitted immediately to the Office of the Chancellor of the University of Houston System and to the UH System Office of Communications.
2.3 In the absence of the President, delegation of authority for a decision to close the university is passed to the Senior Vice President/Provost and then the Vice President for Administration & Finance.
2.4 An emergency closing of the university results in the automatic cancellation of events scheduled on campus during the period the university is closed. The university is not open to students or other personnel except for emergency ride-out crews for the duration of the emergency closing. Any faculty or staff employee who enters the university during a period of emergency closing does so at his or her own risk.
2.5 During any emergency closing, certain personnel may be required to remain on campus to safeguard university property and operational systems. Employees of the UHCL Police Department, UHCL Facilities Management and Construction , and Environmental Health and Safety are informed upon employment that as a condition of employment, they are subject to appointment to serve on emergency ride-out crews in the event of a university emergency. Failure of these employees to be available to serve in an emergency or refusal to report for duty if appointed may be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
2.6 During an emergency closing, provisions are made for shelter, sleeping quarters, food and communications for those serving on emergency ride-out crews. In recognition of the unusual nature of this service and its inherent risks, including the possibility of safety hazards associated with the work itself, non-exempt employees on emergency ride out crews are compensated in accordance with the UHCL "Compensation for Emergency Ride-Out Crews" policy.
2.7 If an employee must be absent from work because of weather conditions not necessitating a university closing, the employee will be required to use approved annual leave or earned compensatory time to remain in a pay status during the absence. An employee is not authorized to use sick leave to cover an absence due to inclement weather, unless the absence would otherwise qualify for use of sick leave. In unusual circumstances, the employee may be eligible for emergency leave which must be approved through the head of the department, the vice president, and the president. The final approval for emergency leave rests with the president.
3.1 Notification. If a university closing occurs while the university is in session, the decision to close will be communicated to faculty, staff and students by use of various methods including e-mail, telephone, word of mouth, and a public address system as appropriate. If a closing occurs while the university is not in session, the decision will be conveyed to administrative officials, who, in turn, will notify faculty and staff members within their areas of responsibility. UHCL Emergency Information text and/or voice messages regarding the status of the university will be sent as appropriate to update faculty, staff and students. Media coverage enhances this effort and conveys the information to the community-at-large.
It is the responsibility of the employee to verify university closings and openings at the university's Web site (www.uhcl.edu), the UHCL Emergency Information Web site (www.UHCLemergency.info) or the UHCL Hotline (281-283-2221).
Employees who are required to serve on the emergency ride-out crews will be notified as far in advance as possible of the emergency assignment.
3.2 During a period of official emergency closing, regular benefits-eligible employees are paid at the regular rate of pay. If an employee elects to leave work prior to an official closing or remain absent past the official re-opening, the lost time must be charged to accrued annual leave or earned compensatory time. If the employee does not have sufficient annual leave or compensatory time to cover such an absence, the employee is considered to be on leave without pay. All such absences must be approved in advance by the employee's supervisor. An absence related to an emergency closing which continues past what is authorized may be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
3.3 UHCL's Director of Communications or designee is responsible for coordinating university closing or opening announcements with UHS Communications as well as notifying the local news media. Contacting the media in a coordinated fashion is necessary to minimize the possibility of public confusion or misunderstanding, given the similarity of institutional names and the likelihood that individual UHS universities will make different decisions regarding closures.
3.4 UHCL's Chief of Police or designee is responsible for monitoring the National Weather Service System for severe weather reports as well as identifying other risks to the physical safety and well-being of the university community. This information is used by the president or designee to make decisions about closing and opening the university.
3.5 Nothing in this policy may be used as the basis for illegal discrimination or retaliation against any individual or group.
William A. Staples
Approval Date: September 9, 1999
Sunset Date: February 10, 2020


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Relations with Pakistan
Over recent years, NATO has developed relations with a range of countries beyond the Euro-Atlantic area. Pakistan is counted among these countries, which are referred to as "partners across the globe." NATO's relations with the country have developed progressively since the Alliance assisted Pakistan following the devastating earthquake in 2005. Political dialogue and practical cooperation have since expanded significantly, in particular on Afghanistan. Allied nations and Pakistan share a common interest in stability in the region and in defeating extremism.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani and then NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen (June 2010).
With NATO leading the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Afghanistan is an important focus of cooperation (see below), especially regarding the shared objective of bringing security and stability to the country. Several high-level political talks between NATO and Pakistan have also addressed other areas of concern, including narcotics trafficking in Afghanistan and Afghan refugees. Allied leaders at the May 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago reaffirmed that "countries in the region, particularly Pakistan, have important roles in ensuring enduring peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and in facilitating the completion of the transition process."
NATO-Pakistan relations go beyond the Alliance's mission in Afghanistan. NATO and Pakistan have developed regular exchanges at various levels, including visits by senior officials and leaders in civil society. High-level political exchanges have taken place, including visits by the former and current NATO Secretary General. President Asif Ali Zardari has previously visited NATO Headquarters to address the North Atlantic Council on his vision for cooperation. Military consultations also take place, and NATO has opened selected training and education courses to Pakistani officers.
Secretary General Rasmussen visited Islamabad in July 2010, when it was agreed to develop a Joint Political Declaration. However, developments in the country and the 26 November 2011 incident along the Afghan-Pakistani border hampered progress. President Zardari's participation in the ISAF meeting at the Chicago Summit on 21 May 2012 highlighted efforts on both sides to restore a full-fledged relationship.
Past interactions have provided opportunities to support the democratically elected authorities, cooperate with the military, build trust and understanding, and promote a culture of cooperative security focused on areas of common interest, such as regional stability and the fight against terrorism. NATO also aims to multiply interactions with parliamentarians, opinion leaders and the civil society at large to encourage dialogue on NATO's policies.
The Allies' adoption of a more efficient and flexible partnership policy in April 2011 paved the way to enhance practical cooperation and political dialogue with "partners across the globe" in the same fashion as with other partners. This means that Pakistan, like other partners, will have access to NATO's Partnership Cooperation Menu (PCM) should the country wish to develop a formal bilateral programme of cooperation with NATO.
Cooperation on Afghanistan
Instability, extremism and terrorism in Afghanistan pose a threat to both Pakistan and the wider international community. As Pakistan's then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz put it during a visit to NATO on 30 January 2007, "Pakistan is committed to a strong, stable Afghanistan. The one country that will benefit the most, after Afghanistan itself, will be Pakistan." Although Pakistan has expressed reservations with some operational issues, dialogue on Afghanistan is continuing with the Alliance.
Pakistan's support for the efforts of NATO and the international community in Afghanistan remains crucial to the success of the Alliance's mission. In early July 2012, NATO's Secretary General welcomed Pakistan's announcement that the ground supply lines to Afghanistan – which had been closed since November 2011 – were re-opening, allowing for the resumption of the transit of ISAF supplies through Pakistan.
The work of the Tripartite Commission, a joint forum on military and security issues that brings together representatives from the NATO-led ISAF operation, Afghanistan and Pakistan, reflects the importance of NATO-Pakistan military-to-military cooperation in the context of Afghanistan. The Tripartite Commission meets regularly at various levels to exchange views and discuss security matters of mutual concern. It focuses on four main areas of cooperation: intelligence sharing, border security, countering improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and initiatives relating to information operations. The Joint Intelligence Operations Centre (JIOC), a joint initiative designed to improve intelligence coordination between Afghanistan, ISAF and Pakistan, opened in Kabul in January 2007.
Evolution of relations
After a devastating earthquake struck Pakistan in October 2005, NATO launched an airlift of urgently needed supplies and deployed engineers, medical units and specialist equipment to the country. In order to facilitate the relief effort, NATO established a massive air-bridge, in addition to utilizing the assets of the NATO Response Force (NRF).
Following the end of the mission in February 2006, political dialogue between NATO and Pakistan intensified. Practical cooperation has gradually enhanced the relationship, starting with the opening of NATO training courses to Pakistani officers. Since 2009, NATO has developed a Tailored Cooperative Package (TCP) of Activities, listing a series of education and training opportunities open to Pakistani officers and representatives. Contacts between the Pakistani senior military leadership and NATO's authorities were also intensified in this context. In addition, NATO recently organised multiple activities aimed at making its role clearer to the Pakistani public, including visits of parliamentarians, opinion leaders and journalists.
Pakistan and NATO's relationship continued to develop during devastating floods along the Indus River in July 2010. Responding to a request from Pakistan for help, NATO member nations, partner countries and other non-governmental organizations donated several hundred tonnes of humanitarian aid in the form of generators, food, boats, tents, clothing, medical equipment and supplies, field hospitals, blankets, mosquito nets and water purification systems. Coordinated by NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), the Alliance provided airlift and sealift assistance, starting in August 2010, for the delivery of the donated goods.
At their meeting in Berlin in April 2011, Allied Foreign Ministers listed Pakistan as one of NATO's partners across the globe. As such, in the framework of the establishment of a single Partnership Cooperation Menu (PCM) open to all NATO partners, Pakistan will be able to access a wide range of cooperation activities with the Alliance and develop a more effective individual programme.
2005 (March) Visit to Pakistan by Ambassador Alessandro Minuto Rizzo, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General. (October) Start of Pakistan earthquake relief operation; NATO airlifts supplies via two air bridges, from Germany and Turkey. (December) General Ahsan Saleem Hyat, Vice Chief of Pakistani Army Staff, visits NATO teams at Arja, Pakistan. 2006 (January) End of NATO's earthquake relief operation in Pakistan. Almost 3500 tons of relief supplies, over 7600 people moved, more than 8000 patients treated. In addition, roads cleared, schools and shelters built. (May) Alliance officials visit Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and other officials in Islamabad. (September) First Pakistani military officers and civilians attend courses at NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany. (November) First visit by top Pakistani officer, General Ehsan ul Haq, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to NATO Headquarters. 2007 (January) Opening of Joint Intelligence Operations Centre (JIOC) at ISAF HQ. The JIOC facilitates joint intelligence operations between ISAF and the Pakistani and Afghan armies. (January) Visit to NATO by Prime Minister of Pakistan; NATO and Pakistan agree on Afghanistan approach. (February) Visit of high-level Pakistani civil and military officials, as well as representatives of the think-tank community, to NATO HQ and commands. (May) First visit by a NATO Secretary General to Pakistan. NATO and Pakistan agree to hold regular high-level political exchanges. 2008 (January) NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met President Pervez Musharraf in Brussels to discuss current security situation in the region and cooperation between NATO and Pakistan. (January) A visit by the Senate's Joint Standing Committee on Defence was organised to NATO HQ and SHAPE. Pakistani parliamentarians have also been invited by the NPA to its plenary meetings including in Berlin and Valencia (November) Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani meets NATO Secretary General at NATO Headquarters. 2009 (January) NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer visits Pakistan for meetings with President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani, Foreign Minister Qureshi, Defence Minister Mukhtar and General Kayani, Chief of the General Staff, as well as other senior officials. (January) The North Atlantic Council agree on the role of the Embassy of Turkey in Islamabad as the NATO Contact Point Embassy in Pakistan. This crucial step complements the practical cooperation framework to facilitate political exchange and working-level coordination. (May) Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Kayani visits NATO Headquarters for meetings with NATO's civilian and military leadership. (June) President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari visits NATO Headquarters for a meeting with the North Atlantic Council – the first elected President of Pakistan to address the Council. (August) A group of Pakistani opinion leaders visits NATO Headquarters and SHAPE. (October) A seminar on Pakistan is held, at which international experts on the country engage in discussion with NATO Ambassadors. (December) NATO and Pakistan establish an annual work programme or Individual Tailored Cooperation Package (TCP) of activities which provides the basis for practical cooperation. 2010 (February) Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, meets the Secretary General and addresses the North Atlantic Council. (June) Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, accompanied by a large government and parliamentary delegation, meet the Secretary General and address the North Atlantic Council. (July) First visit by NATO Secretary General Rasmussen to Islamabad, during which an agreement is reached with the Government of Pakistan to jointly develop a political declaration as a framework for partnership. (August) Following Pakistan's request for help, NATO begins providing airlift and sealift assistance for the transport of humanitarian aid donated after the country's devastating floods. More than 700 tons of humanitarian items have been delivered on some 19 flights to assist the Pakistani population 2011 (September) EADRCC is activated at Pakistan's request in response to monsoon floods.
(November) Pakistan closes ground communication lines for ISAF transit following an incident along the Afghan-Pakistani border.
2012 (May) President Zardari participates in the extended format ISAF meeting at NATO's Chicago Summit. (July) Pakistan announces the re-opening of ground supply lines to Afghanistan for the transit of ISAF supplies.