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"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting; The soul that rises with us, our life's star, Hath elsewhere had its setting, And cometh from afar."
IS that true? Have we existed in other states of being as many poets and many non‐poets dimly conjecture? Is this life our beginning though we know it not to be our ending? or is it only one of a series of existences through which we pass? Now and then flashing reminiscences—reminiscences of things we know positively not to have happened in this life—dart,across our minds, recognition in a smell or a sound of something we have met with, something we have had to do with, somehow, somewhere, somewhen. Whence can such page: 2 reminiscences, such recognitions come, but from some pre‐existence? Our draught of Lethe has not been quite deep enough.
But even without those dim hintings at recollections of a former state, our utter forgetfulness of ever having been in life, under any form before our present one, is no argument against the existence of such a previous life, for what faintest remembrance have we of our first year? Does any glimmering of memory illumine those days when we lay on our nurse's lap, sprawling, making faces, sucking?
Are there only a certain number of old souls which continually go in and out of an ever new succession of bodies? And if we did exist in some former state, was it a higher or a lower one? Were we beasts or angels? Have we fallen or risen?
Truly there is none of us who cannot point out a pig or two, a sheep or a mule, among his acquaintance. If Dolly had ever pre‐existed, it must have been in the shape of one of the feline tribe; not a comfortable old tabby sitting staid beside the hearth, and putting up her head to be tickled, but a tigress or a panther, sleek, lithe, beautiful, stealthy. There lacked to her but the eyed skin, the outward beast form; her spirit had remained the pard‐spirit of her former life, when she lived in jungles; tangled, torrid swamps, and lay in wait to pounce on deer, and kid, and man.
Turning day into night, I slept on, till the afternoon, till the sun came round to my side of the house, and woke me, blazing down hot and full on the bed whereon I lay through the uncurtained, unshuttered page: 4 windows. When I did wake, it was to the consciousness of a sufficiently bad headache. For some little time I lay motionless, on the border land between sleeping and waking; feeling nothing much, wishing nothing much, thinking of nothing much except myself as a mere animal; my headache, my vertigo, and my heat. I was fully roused at length by the door handle turning softly, the door opening, and some one coming in. Some one came over to the bed, and bent over me; some one was Dolly.
"Awake, are you? have you quite recovered your adventure?" she says, in a key so sweet and low, that it does not jar on my aching cranium, as almost any other sound would. She would make the divinest sick nurse, would Dolly. My senses come back to me, full and strong. Dolly has treated me despitefully; there shall be no peace with her; war to the knife with Dolly. I fixed my eyes steadily upon her, from among my tumbled pillows.
"I don't want to speak to you," I said, "you tell lies!"page: 5
"Do I?" said Dolly, unruffled. "I daresay; I never yet met a person who did not, and I hope I never shall, for they would necessarily be very disagreeable; a certain amount of fibs is essential to the existence of society; did you never hear that?"
I refuse to be led from the concrete to the abstract.
"You made mischief between me and Dick. You prevented him from driving me to Wilton," I cry, with raised voice, knives running through my head under my exertions.
"If Dick, as you call him, has forgiven me, don't you think you might?" she says, gently.
If Dick had forgiven her! How that quiet implication stung me! I roll my head restlessly from side to side.
"What object could you have had in doing it? Had you any object at all, or was it only pure malice?"
Dolly smiles and sits down on the side of the bed; she perceives we are going to have a squabble, and she does not see why page: 6 we should not have it out comfortably.
"What a foolish child you were not to get into bed," she says with affability; "lying down in one's clothes does not rest one in the least; now, you know, to‐night you'll look quite green."
"Was it pure malice?" I reiterate, disregarding this digression.
"Nobody but a fiend would think of doing anything out of pure malice, I should say," returns my sister, sedately, "and I'm not a fiend yet, that I know of; malice had neither part nor lot in the matter."
"Did you want to ride with him yourself?" I ask, vehemently; "are you fond of him too?"
Dolly smiles again; a little amused, compassionate smile, and shrugs her shoulders.
"Am I given to being fond of men, merely for being long‐legged and poor, which I confess seem to me the most salient points in your dear Dick's character?"
"Any one would have said you thought page: 7 he had a good many good points in his character, who saw the way you looked at him yesterday," I cry, choking with indignation.
"My dear, did I make my own eyes? Can I help it, if they have any peculiar way of exercising themselves; Providence made them, and Providence must answer for their vagaries."
"If you have such a contempt for poverty, why did you waste so much time and trouble; why did you tell lies, and make me perfectly miserable, merely to get that which, when you had got it, you thought worthless?" I asked bitterly.
"My good child, for once I was unselfish; cannot you believe that?" asks Dolly, playfully, and laying her cool slim hand on my burning forehead.
"I had no plans for myself whatever; certainly no designs on our mutual friend, with the crack‐jaw Scotch name; it rather bored me than otherwise ambling along beside him, for heaven knows how many hours, in the broiling sun!"
I am dumbfoundered, and lie staring at page: 8 her with boundless wonder in my wide‐open eyes.
"What upon earth did you do it for, then?" I gasp, slowly; "once for all, tell me what object you had, or whether you had any?"
"Will you have some Eau de Cologne on your head?" she asks; and as she is sprinkling scented drops over me, "An object?" says she, "yes, to be sure; who but an idiot ever does anything without an object? I have no objection whatever to tell you mine either, if you'll listen to it like a sensible woman, and not scream at the top of your voice, as you have been doing for the last quarter of an hour; if you must know the truth, I intended you to drive with Sir Hugh. Was not it charitable of me? he looked so disconsolate, poor little wretch!"
"Why did you want me to drive with him?" I ask in blank astonishment.
"Because, my dear, I wish and intend that you should drive through life with him; because I hope, before I die, to see you Lady Lancaster."page: 9
"That you never will," I cry, with flaming cheeks, starting up in bed, and fumbling with the counterpane.
"Ah! perhaps not; at present you prefer the idea of riding in the baggage‐waggon after Daddy Longlegs, with several little M'Gregors, male and female, clinging about your skirts!"
So Dolly, softly inhaling Eau de Cologne as she speaks. I fling myself back among the pillows, and am thankful for the shade afforded by my loosened hair—a shade which partially veils the blush that I feel creeping all over my body.
"How coarse you are!" I murmur.
"Very likely," says Dolly, "common sense always is coarse; but my being ever so coarse won't make the baggage‐waggon an easier mode of conveyance, nor will it pay Romeo and Juliet's butcher's bills."
"What is it to you whether they are ever paid?" I am emboldened by the protection of my tangled locks to ask; "why cannot you let us be happy in our own way?"page: 10
"Us be happy, indeed!" says Dolly, a little contemptuously. "Are you so sure about Romeo? because I'm not; Romeo likes coats from Poole; he likes billiards and Château Lafitte, and actresses; of course he does; he keeps them in the background now, but you are even a greater ninny than I take you for, if you cannot believe that they are there, out of sight somewhere. Will he be content, do you suppose, with poky lodgings and a dirty parlour maid, and shoulder of mutton and rice pudding, even with you to sweeten them?"
I writhe in silent anguish; but her logic is unanswerable. What equivalent am I for billiards and Château Lafitte, and actresses?
"It's something quite new your taking such an interest in my concerns," I say presently. "I cannot see what it would matter to you if I were to run away with a tinker."
"I don't think a tinker's arms would quarter well with the Lestranges'," says she, laughing, "and I should not like to page: 11 have to allude to my sister Madame la Chaudronnière." Then falling into gravity again, "I don't pretend to any great disinterestedness in the matter; my motive for endeavouring to prevent your marrying Major M'Gregor, is no particularly tender regard for your interests; it is simply this, that by marrying a pauper, as, from all I can make out, I believe our worthy dragoon to be, you will drag down our family, and me of course with it, even lower than it has already fallen, though it seems pretty nearly at the bottom of the ladder as it is."
I toss about restlessly. I feel that there is a flaw somewhere in her worldly wisdom, but I cannot detect it.
"Whereas," pursues Dolly, rising and pacing up the room, "if you marry Sir Hugh—"
"Never," I cry, interrupting her; "I'd rather be flayed alive! Ugh! married to Hugh! I should be dead of disgust in a week! Faugh!"
Dolly pauses before a cheval‐glass, and considers herself—not with vanity—for page: 12 vanity in her was not, but reflectively, appraisingly; looked at her small snaky head; at her coiled cables of ink‐black hair; at her tall, svelte figure.
"Don't you see, you stupid child, that I'm only giving you the advice that I always give and take myself?" she says. "Am I more in love with Hugh's attractions than you are? not I; as I see him, he's a good‐natured, wooden‐headed old booby; but for all that, if he were to come in here this minute (don't be alarmed, he'd hardly be so ill‐mannered) and say to me, 'Miss Lestrange, will you marry me?' or, 'Dolly, will you be mine?' wouldn't I respond, 'Yes, dear Hugh, that I will, and thank you kindly;' I'd swear to love, honour, and obey, not him, not him; (with a gesture of contempt), but his £12,000 a year, his French cook, and his opera‐box, and I'd keep my vow, too!"
"I wish to goodness he would ask you!" I groan.
"Is there," pursues Dolly, warming with her theme (it's not often she thinks it worth while wasting so much breath on page: 13 anything female) "is there any old lord between the three seas, so old, so mumbling, so wicked, that I would not joyfully throw myself into his horrid palsied old arms, if he had but money; money! money! money is power; money is a god!"
I sit with my legs dangling over the side of the bed listening.
"It may be yours," I say; "it is not mine. What do women want with power? What would they do with it when they had got it? Love is worth all the power in the world!"
"Pooh! I did not know that any one after sixteen or before sixty, believed in that venerable old imposture now‐a‐days; love is another name for selfishness!" says Dolly, recommencing her walk, and sweeping up and down.
"It cannot be selfishness to live altogether in and for another person," object I, thinking that I have nailed her there.
"Worldly wisdom and sordid common sense," continues she, "would make you marry Hugh, sacrifice your own passions, give a lift to the poor old family, the de‐ depression page: 14 pression of which is breaking papa's heart—it's a pity you've always made such a fuss about your devotion to him, isn't it—and relieve him of more than half his cares; on the other hand, Love, noble, beautiful, be‐poetized Love, will make you hurl yourself at the not particularly delighted head of that big Scotchman—you will have no money, no position, no power for good or evil, but your passion will be gratified; you will be put in possession of that very luxuriant moustache, and those very broad shoulders, and having them, you can afford to let papa's 'grey hairs go down with sorrow to the grave,' as somebody's in the Bible did; cannot you, dear?"
She opens the door and passes out; I call after her, "Dolly, Dolly, come back!" but she either does not or will not hear.


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Looking for something to read on my lunch breaks, I picked up The Coffin Dancer. It was full of enough twists and turns that I picked up The Stone Monkey and was equally impressed.
So I think The Empty Chair is next and then either The Bone Collector(I already saw the movie) or The Vanishing Man if it hits in paperback soon enough. Then I may read some of Deaver's other stuff.
In case you didn't know, the books are about an ill tempered C4 quadrapalegic forensics expert and his uber hot super model turned cop assistant. They catch bad guys and stuff by finding evidence at crime scenes.
Anyone read 'em?

subset: commoncrawl


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Web Stories
Time, Newsweek editors discuss future of print, Nov. 28
Posted November 26, 2007; 04:59 p.m.
Jim Kelly, managing editor of Time Inc., and Evan Thomas, Newsweek editor-at-large, will discuss the future of print journalism in an event titled "How Dead Is Print?" at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, in 101 McCormick Hall.
Kelly and Thomas will speak on how the print media are adapting to changes in an increasingly digital world in which more people are getting their news from blogs and other online sources, and advertising and circulation revenues have decreased.
Kelly is a 1976 Princeton graduate. Before assuming his post as managing editor of Time Inc. in 2006, Kelly served as managing editor of the company's flagship magazine, Time. During his tenure, Time won four National Magazine Awards, including the award for general excellence.
Thomas was named editor-at-large of Newsweek in September 2006 and is the magazine's lead writer on major news stories. He has twice served as a visiting professor of journalism at Princeton and this fall began a five-year term as the Ferris Professor in Residence.
The discussion is sponsored by the University Press Club as part of its Louis R. Rukeyser '54 Memorial Lecture Series.


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nailz1000 wrote:yes, but the static in my signature is obviously the adj, and not the noun.
It may be obvious to you, as you are the one who wrote it; however, do remember that language is a fluid thing, and is prone to much reinterpretation. Anything can be interpreted in a way different than its author intended - and nobody can really meaningfully say that other peoples' interpretation has any less merit than the author's.


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- User Name: martypan
- Member Since: Wednesday, March 7, 2007, 2:25 PM
- Name: Marty Pan
- Studio: Never Heard Again Studios
- Location: Teenage Alien Nation
- Last Login: 2014-06-04 09:02:13
- Forum Info: Profile Posts (6)
- Usefulness: 83 with
7 opinions
[average 119.6 of 231388 opinions; standard deviation 432.5 ]
- Profile:
Ordinarily, I'm no good at introductions, but while we're at it... My humble self is called Martin, I'm 20 years young and excited in everything that is related to video.
Strangely, I started watching anime and making amvs at same time, in october 2006. Many shows seemed to fit to some of my favourite songs, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring these together. My first works weren't really enjoyable. They were completely random structured and quite disjointed. Don't ask me about the output quality.
Then, some months later, I learned about semiprofessionell editing, how it works and what I can do to make my videos more special. From then on I was able to create musicvideos, that makes sense and entertain. Of course there are breakdowns, but I cannot let off anytime, though. Admittedly, I'm not as good as most other improved editors here, but I study hard to reach that level some day.
During non-amv-editing I'm focusing on my apprenticeship as a video-editor, playing sidescroller and roleplay-games (psn), listening to alternative and punk musicians, watching movies and doing review-stuff. Sadly, I'm often negligent of doing most of these things. Certainly I like staying with friends, even if I'm a kinda calm and non-descript. Cut. °<
That's it, enjoy my stuff or throw it away.


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Family: Muridae, Mice and Rats view all from this family
Description Plain brown to grayish-fawn above; white below. Tail short, white to pale gray. L 4 1/2 -5 1/2" (115-140 mm); T 1 3/4 -2" (45-50 mm); HF 5/8" (15 mm).
Endangered Status The Perdido Key Beach Mouse, a subspecies of the Oldfield Mouse, is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as endangered in Florida and Alabama. This beach mouse lives on Perdido Key, which lies on the Gulf shoreline on the Alabama-Florida border. It owes its endangered status to the destruction of its habitat by tropical storms and the modification of its habitat for human residential and recreational use. Two species associated with humans further threaten this mouse: The house cat, which preys on it, and the House Mouse, which competes with it for food and habitat. Today the Perdido Key Beach Mouse survives in Gulf State Park, on the Alabama side of the key, and in Gulf Islands National Seashore on the Florida side.
Habitat Coastal sand dunes, overgrown fields.
Range Gulf coast at Alabama-Florida border.


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Lavender Nouveau Floral Leanback Lounger
No longer available
- Overview
Kick off your lounging in eco-friendly style. Our plush beanbag cushioning has been fortified with extra structure all around to give you the comfort of a beanbag and the support of your favorite chair.
- 39" wide x 31" deep x 31" high
- Cover is made of soft, pure cotton with reinforced stitching for improved durability.
- Eco-friendly fill contains 100% recycled material.
- New construction means that the filling stays in place, maintaining the lounger's shape and providing extra support.
- Personalization is included in the price of our personalized loungers.
- Shown with style #29 personalized font in White.
- Click here to Preview Font Colors.
Make sure it fits! Use our interactive room planner to design your floor plan.
- Dimensions + Care
- Overall: 39" wide x 31" deep x 31" high
- Seat: 39" wide x 18" deep x 14" high
- Backrest: 18" high
- Cover is not removable.
- Spot clean with warm water and mild soap or detergent.
- Shipping Info
This item ships directly from our manufacturer. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.
- Final Sale
Final-sale items, identified by a price ending in $0.99, cannot be returned. Once placed, your order for any final sale items cannot be canceled.
Personalized Leanback Lounger
No longer available
Leanback Lounger
No longer available


text:
Adding Testosterone to Viagra May Not Help Erectile Dysfunction »
"For men with low testosterone, taking testosterone along with Viagra may not help their erections more than if they only took Viagra, a new study shows.
"There were lots of reasons to think that it would work," Boston University rese"...
Read the Adding Testosterone to Viagra May Not Help Erectile Dysfunction article »
Caverject Consumer (continued)
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: "blood thinners" (e.g., warfarin, heparin).
This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.
OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.
NOTES: Do not share this medication with others.
Keep all regular medical appointments, and have regular checkups to monitor the effectiveness and safety of this medication.
MISSED DOSE: Not applicable.
STORAGE: Store the unmixed product at or below 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not freeze. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.
After mixing, do not refrigerate or freeze, and use/discard within 24 hours or as the manufacturer directs.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.
Information last revised March 2013. Copyright(c) 2013 First Databank, Inc.
Caverject Consumer Overview
Additional Caverject Information
Caverject - User Reviews
Caverject User Reviews
Now you can gain knowledge and insight about a drug treatment with Patient Discussions.
Here is a collection of user reviews for the medication Caverject sorted by most helpful.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Get tips to boost your love life.


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You may have packed away the artificial Christmas tree for the season, but you can still enjoy some of your favorite Christmas dishes–with a twist! Here are three traditional holiday recipes you can tweak to brighten up your spring dinner table.
1. Sugar Cookies
Santa's favorite snack doesn't have to disappear when the holidays are over! Try adding a few drops of lemon extract to your favorite sugar cookie recipe, and invest in flower-shaped cutters for a bright, spring-y touch. Royal frosting makes a fantastic glaze, and you can tint it any color of the rainbow to complement your flower shapes. This is a great project for kids, too!
2. Turkey and Gravy
Instead of the traditional turkey and gravy, try making a turkey salad for springtime. Fresh greens are more readily available this time of year. Coupling those lush greens with pieces of roasted turkey, fresh fruits and a light vinaigrette dressing will result in a special brunch or gourmet accompaniment to your regular dinner spread.
Continue reading "3 Christmas Dishes You Can Repurpose for Spring" →


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Web Stories
Quipfire! to perform charity show, Nov. 5
Posted October 25, 2003; 05:13 p.m.
The Quipfire! student improvisational comedy troupe will perform its third annual experimental show at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, in the Frist Campus Center theater.
Tickets are $5 and are available at the Frist ticket office, (609) 258-1742. All proceeds will go to charity.
For more information, contact Hugh Strange .
Contact: Ruth Stevens (609) 258-3601


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Sin City
Trip Start Sep 07, 2009
39Trip End Nov 17, 2009
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Where I stayed
We pulled up at the Signature Towers, where we were staying, which is part of the MGM Grand complex on the main 'Strip'. The hotel has free valet parking (tipping is optional, so needless to say we never did), which was brilliant for us. We walked into the huge lobby and were immediately sucked in by the slick service and sumptuous surroundings. The room didn't disappoint either and we were so glad to have a bit of luxury for a few days. As well as a two person hot-tub in the room, we also had a kitchenette, which was both a money-saver and a lifesaver, as we were becoming so sick of fast food and desperate to have some simple home-cooked grub
On our first night (after a long soak in the hot tub), Jim went out to get some food supplies. He got a bit lost driving down The Strip and ended up doing u-turn in the forecourt of the famous Bellagio Hotel, but he made it back eventually. Jim cooked some pasta for dinner and it was divine. We then got changed and headed out to the MGM's casino.
The hotel is so big that the walk from our tower to the casino took about 15 minutes, although moving walkways helped to speed it up. Walking into the casino for the first time was wicked and just how we imagined. Constant music and flashing lights form the slot machines, cheers coming from the poker, blackjack and craps tables, the vibe was brilliant. We had a couple of turns on the slot machines and then Jim introduced me to roulette for the first time...I was instantly hooked! The odds are wicked and we left the casino 'up' on our first night.
The MGM Grand is not just a casino. It has a massive spa, fitness centre, shopping and restaurant arcade, outdoor pool complex, and, of course, an indoor lion enclosure - unbelievable.
We decided to leave the delights of the rest of The Strip until tomorrow, and returned back to our room buzzing with excitement
27/10/2009 - In the morning we set off to the laundromat to do some washing. This was no ordinary laundromat however; it had flat screen TVs, arcade machines and massage chairs - only in Las Vegas. We returned back to the hotel for a snack and then headed out to check out The Strip for the first time. Unfortunately, for the first time during our trip, the weather and turned against us and, despite being in the middle of the desert, it was absolutely freezing with very strong winds. This wasn't too much of a problem though, as most of the hotels are joined together by covered walkways, moving travelators and escalators, so we spent as little time as possible outside.
We visited as many hotels and casinos as we could including The Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Flamingo, Mirage, Paris (complete with Eiffel Tower), New York (complete with full scale roller-coaster out front) and The Venetian (complete with flowing river and gondolas). To be honest, inside the casinos are pretty much all the same, although they all smell differently - they somehow pump out a distinct perfume linked to their theme e.g. The Flamingo, with a tropical theme, smells of coconuts and Pina Colada. Caesar's Palace and The Bellagio both have impressive shopping arcades and attractions
Walking back to our hotel at night along The Strip, was a bit dodgy. There is a lot of construction going on and the walkways have a lot of dark corners with people wearing t-shirts saying 'Hot girls to your room in 20 minutes' waving hooker cards and prostitute brochures at you, but then what did we expect - this was Las Vegas after all.
28/10/2009 and 29/10/2009 - Over the next couple of days we indulged ourselves in the delights of the hotel facilities. I had an amazing massage in the hotel spa and we also treated ourselves to a meal at Joel Robouchon's Michelin starred restaurant, L'Atelier. We had a lot of jacuzzi baths (we topped 3 in one day) and we gambled a bit more in the casinos, but stuck mostly to roulette. By the end of our stay, we left with $100 more in our wallet than we had started the week with...can't be a bad thing. Trick is to stop when your winning and not to get too greedy (easier said than done)...
Vegas is basically like a huge, surreal playground. We had great fun, but something about the place left me feeling a little uneasy or guilty even. It is so extravagant and over the top that after a few days you realise how garish it all is. The hotels are actually monstrosities, all trying to out do each other to be the biggest and the best. Most of the people in the casinos were fat Americans in wheelchairs, that just sat at the slots for hours, smoking and gambling their lives away...pretty sad really. Not sure Vegas is my kinda place. I had fun, but it left a bit of bad taste in my mouth....


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By NEMS Daily Journal
Mississippi's U.S. senators, Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, were on the prevailing bipartisan side in a vote during the weekend to provide $60.4 billion in special supplemental appropriations to help states in the path of Hurricane Sandy recover from that vicious storm's wrath – a bipartisan vote similar to those following Hurricane Katrina that helped Mississippi and other states begin rebuilding from that killer storm's devastation.
The bipartisan approval had been a work in progress since Sandy struck the East Coast only days before the presidential election in early November.
Still, final approval is not assured because well-placed sources on Capitol Hill expect less enthusiasm in the House – even though some of its members with even more geographic specificity represent areas of heaviest damage and the highest death tolls.
As Cochran noted in his official statement about the vote, "The disaster supplemental appropriations package developed by the administration and the Senate majority is far from perfect, but I believe it is important that federal assistance be provided in a timely manner."
The bill approved by the Senate also includes provisions based on the Disaster Recovery Act (S.1630) to improve federal responses following major disasters; that bill was introduced by senators Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Cochran last September.
Cochran and Landrieu know the necessity of federal disaster recovery – generous provision for destruction beyond isolated incidents. They both worked through it in 2005 after Katrina.
The provisions in the bill from the Cochran-Landrieu sponsorship are designed for efficiency:
• Expand access to the independent arbitration panels put in place by Landrieu and Cochran for Hurricane Katrina.
• Reduce costs and remove bureaucratic hurdles by allowing local communities to voluntarily agree with FEMA on a binding reasonable cost to repair a facility.
• Reduce costs and remove bureaucratic red tape by allowing communities to group similar structures together, and also by allowing a small portion of funding for projects to be provided up front so that rebuilding can begin as soon as possible.
• Encourage agencies to develop unified environmental and historic preservation review procedures for disasters rather than the current practice of requiring duplicative reviews from each agency.
Bipartisanship is mostly common sense in adapting what works.
We hope the same wisdom eventually fully prevails on the fiscal cliff.


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2012-2013 Annual Fund
Each year the alumni association contacts alumni and friends of Rhode Island College and asks for gifts to the Alumni Association Annual Fund. The Annual Fund provides the Alumni Association board with resources that enable the board to support the college, its students and its faculty.
Alumni Association
Annual fund Distribution
When asked to make a gift, most people find it helpful to know how the funds are used by the Alumni Association. The chart below demonstrates the typical allocation of funds received through the annual fund.
It is difficult to imagine where the funding would originate for these activities and special allocations if it were not for the gifts made to the Alumni Association Annual Fund. Every gift to the annual fund is used to help our students, faculty and alumni.
Please consider a gift to the 2012-2013 Alumni Association Annual Fund.
How is the Fund Used?
40%Student Scholarships
The dominant use of gifts to the annual fund is to provide students with financial assistance. Over $100,000 is awarded each year.
"No one has to tell me the value of having an education from Rhode Island College. My mother and two of my cousins are graduates. This college prepares you not only for a job, but for a successful career. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for my scholarship. It means so much to me and to my family." Read more...
Check out our
Student Testimonials!
– Eddie Pannone '16
Graduate of Johnston Senior High School
28%College Assistance
The Alumni Association provides special funding each year to help support Homecoming. Annual Fund dollars are also a source of unrestricted funds for the President's Fund for Excellence, which President Carriuolo uses to advance the college mission.
New Transportation Center
A recent alumni survey indicated that 48% of respondents identified the Alumni Magazine as important or very important to them as a source of news and information from Rhode Island College.
Publishing this magazine twice a year is essential. This funding also keeps alumni informed through email messages, printed announcements and social media outlets.
7%Alumni Events
A vital function of the Alumni Association is to offer a variety of interesting events and activities for alumni to interact with each other. We also sponsor get-togethers that bring alumni and current students together in meaningful ways.
Newport Day at the International Polo Matches 2012
5%Faculty Support
The Alumni Association provides funds for faculty interested in special research programs.
–Dr. John C. Williams
"My research at RIC has been funded by the Faculty Research Fund as well as Rhode Island's Science and Technology Advisory Council (RI-STAC), Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). The last three would not have been possible without the first. These grants provide research opportunities for our students that make them very competitive applicants for graduate, medical and pharmacy schools and jobs in industry."
Professor of Chemistry
Physical Sciences Department


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By Ben Levisohn
Qihoo 360 Technlogy (QIHU) is scheduled to report earnings tomorrow after the close–and investors appear to be ready for some good news.
Shares of Qihoo have jumped 4.2% to $33.38 today, even as Chinese stocks and other internet stocks have plummeted. The iShares FTSE China 25 Index (FXI) exchange-traded fund, for instance, has dropped 2.15% to $37.77. Shares of Qihoo-competitor Baidu (BIDU), which disappointed investors last month, have plunged 3.55% to $89.27, while Youku Tudou (YOKU), which reported earnings last week, has plunged 4.9% to $19.06.
Why the optimism? In a report today, analysts at T.H. Capital pointed to better online-shopping sales–which may have doubled from the previous quarter–and a pickup in the hosting of web games on its platform could lead to a rosy fourth quarter, while 2013 should get a boost from Qihoo's ability to generate cash from its search engine.
As a result, T.H. Capital expects Qihoo to beat fourth quarter estimates for revenues and earnings per share. They maintained their buy rating on the stock with a $34 price target.


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This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of Operation Ajax—the notorious CIA plot that is supposed to have ousted Iranian prime minister Muhammad Mossadeq. In the intervening decades, the events of 1953 have been routinely depicted as a nefarious U.S. conspiracy that overthrew a nationalist politician who enjoyed enormous popular support. This narrative, assiduously cultivated by the Islamic Republic, was so readily endorsed by the American intellectual class that presidents and secretaries of state are now expected to commence any discussion of Iran by apologizing for the behavior of their malevolent predecessors. At this stage, the account has even seeped into American popular culture, featuring most recently in Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning blockbuster Argo. The only problem with this mythologized history is that the CIA's role in Mossadeq's demise was largely inconsequential. In the end, the 1953 coup was very much an Iranian affair.
Muhammad Mossadeq was an aristocratic politician who belonged to a narrow Iranian elite who considered high government office their patrimony. Respectful of the traditions of its class, this cohort would constitute the cabinets, parliaments, and civil service that ruled Iran for much of the 20th century. Mossadeq and his political party, the National Front, reached the height of their influence in 1950 when they pressed a nationalization law through the parliament, allowing Iran to reclaim its oil from British imperial control.
Despite the standard account of American hostility to Iranian nationalism, both the Truman and Eisenhower administrations recognized the shortcomings of British strategy in the age of postcolonial nationalism and pressured London to accept Iran's legitimate demands. American diplomats like Dean Acheson and Averell Harriman pressed both sides toward accommodation and compromise. For three years, the United States crafted innumerable proposals that sought to reconcile British mandates with Iranian nationalist imperatives. As with today's nuclear diplomacy regarding Iran, all these clever formulations failed to yield an agreement.
One key problem was that Mossadeq became a victim of his own success. The prime minister's absolutist rhetoric and pledges to end British influence created conditions that militated against a judicious resolution of the crisis. The more he galvanized his countrymen and inflamed public opinion the less likely he was to settle for a compromise accord. As the diplomatic stalemate persisted, Iran was deprived of indispensable revenue when Britain embargoed its oil shipments.
By 1953, Iran's economy was in free-fall. Without its oil wealth and facing mounting budget deficits, the Mossadeq government was increasingly incapable of meeting its payroll. Iran could not get around the British embargo, and efforts to operate an oil-less economy proved doomed as the government relied on petroleum sales to cover much of its budget. Mossadeq responded to the crisis by behaving in an increasingly autocratic manner. A principled politician who revered the rule of law, Mossadeq now contrived referendums, rigged elections, and sought control of the armed forces, long a prerogative of the Iranian monarchy. Suddenly the champion of constitutional rule turned into a populist rabble-rouser rebelling against the traditions of his state.
Iran's escalating economic crisis began to fracture the National Front, less a party than a coalition of like-minded organizations. The fact that it accordingly never developed its own dedicated and disciplined cadre that could remain steadfast under political stress was part of what undid Mossadeq. The Front's middle-class elements, concerned about their declining financial fortunes, began to abandon him. The intelligentsia and the professional class were increasingly wary of the prime minister's autocratic tendencies and looked for alternative leadership. The armed forces, which had stayed quiet despite Mossadeq's periodic purges of the senior officer corps, now grew vocal and began to participate in political intrigues. The clerisy, long suspicious of secular politicians and their modernizing tendency, subtly shifted its allegiances to the monarchy. And here it is worth underscoring the fact that the clerical estate—despite the Islamic Republic's current position on the so-called CIA coup—played a critical role in Mossadeq's downfall.
The prospect of toppling Mossadeq was promoted by a coterie of Iranian politicians who saw that, given Mossadeq's dictatorial penchant, there was no legislative means of removing him from power. General Fazollah Zahedi, a onetime member of Mossadeq's cabinet turned oppositionist, offered himself to the U.S. embassy as a possible solution. As a member of the armed forces with ties to the clerical establishment, Zahedi assured the embassy that a robust anti-Mossadeq network already existed and could discharge its functions with minimal support from the United States.
By May 1953, a joint CIA-MI6 task force proposed a plan of action, codenamed "Ajax." The key to the plot was to gain the cooperation of the shah, who had the legal authority to dismiss his premier. Zahedi emerged as the cornerstone of the plan, for he was seen, according to the CIA's account, as the only figure with sufficient "vigor and courage to make him worthy of support." Eisenhower approved the plan in a meeting with his top national security advisers on June 22.
By that point the erosion of Mossadeq's support was all too obvious. A large portion of the National Front had abandoned Mossadeq while the military's top brass was agitating for action. All the signals coming out of Tehran were that the shah was still a popular figure, and if he intervened decisively, Mossadeq would have to yield. As with most well-laid plans, the actual course of events did not conform to the plotters' expectations.
The first phase of the CIA's operation was to inflame the existing disorder with a propaganda campaign, turning out stories about Mossadeq's corruption, hunger for power, and Jewish ancestry, the last of which, at least, was a fabrication. Other newspaper reports cited forged documents suggesting that the National Front was secretly collaborating with Iran's Communist party, Tudeh, to establish a "people's democracy" that would expunge religion from public life.
The recruitment of the shah proved a much more difficult task. The monarch seemed to welcome Mossadeq's demise but was reluctant to assume direct responsibility for his dismissal. To stiffen his spine, the CIA arranged for a series of emissaries—including the shah's twin sister, Princess Ashraf, as well as General Norman Schwarzkopf Sr., who trained the Iranian police force in the 1940s—to visit the palace. Another furtive guest of the court was the operational leader of the coup, Kermit Roosevelt. The shah wanted to gauge the degree of American commitment, and once assured of Eisenhower's personal pledge to assist his country, he issued two orders—one dismissing Mossadeq and the other appointing Zahedi to the premiership.
On the night of August 16, Colonel Nematollah Nassiri, the commander of the Imperial Guards, attempted to deliver the orders to the prime minister's residence. He failed. It appears that Mossadeq was tipped off by members of the Tudeh who had penetrated the armed forces. Nassiri and his troops were overwhelmed and quickly arrested by forces loyal to Mossadeq. Fearing for his safety, Zahedi went into hiding. The shah fled, first to Iraq and then Italy.
It's important to note that for all the talk of a coup, the reality is that it was Mossadeq who broke the law. The shah had the constitutional authority to dismiss his prime minister—refusing to step down in contravention of the monarch's orders was an illegal act.
After the plotters' apparent failure, a mood of resignation descended over Washington. CIA headquarters acknowledged that the "operation had been tried and failed." Eisenhower's aide and confidant General Walter Bedell Smith told the president that "we now have to take a whole new look at the Iranian situation and probably have to snuggle up to Mossadeq if we are going to save anything there." As the Americans despaired, the initiative passed to the Iranians.
In Tehran, political fortunes swayed back and forth. A number of National Front members denounced the monarchy and castigated the shah as a bloodthirsty tyrant. They were joined by the Tudeh, which saw a unique opportunity to flex its muscles and depose the shah. The party's cadre toppled statues of Pahlavi kings and called for the establishment of a democratic republic. The U.S. ambassador to Iran, Loy Henderson, cabled Washington that the masses were outraged at the Tudeh's "gang of hooligans bearing red flags and chanting Commie songs." This assessment was later corroborated by a prominent Tudeh member, who acknowledged that their actions had backfired, leading to "quarrelling with shopkeepers, ordinary folks and clerics, affronting, even alienating them from the government of Dr. Mossadeq."
Zahedi and his co-conspirators renewed their efforts, largely independent of Roosevelt and the CIA. Zahedi took two initiatives. He sought first to publicize the fact that the shah had dismissed Mossadeq and appointed him prime minister, and therefore Mossadeq's claim to power was unconstitutional. Next, Zahedi contacted commanders of armed units in the capital and provinces that remained loyal to the shah and told them to prepare to mobilize their forces.
In late summer, military units began to clash with Tudeh activists, while pro-shah protesters took to the streets. It is true that the CIA paid a number of toughs from the bazaar and athletic centers to agitate against the government, but the CIA-financed mobs rarely exceeded a few hundred people in a country that was now rocked by demonstrators numbering in the thousands. As Henderson cabled from Tehran, the protesters were "not of hoodlum type customarily predominant in recent demonstrations in Tehran. They seemed to come from all classes of people, including workers, clerks, shopkeepers, students." In the end, the CIA-organized demonstrations were overtaken by a spontaneous cascade of pro-shah protesters.
In a sense, Mossadeq expedited his own demise. Determined to restore order, the premier ordered the military to put an end to the disturbances—a military whose loyalty was suspect. Armed units took over key installations and eventually moved against Mossadeq, forcing him to flee. A startled CIA reported to the White House that "an unexpectedly strong surge of popular and military reaction to Prime Minister Mossadeq's government has resulted, according to the latest dispatches from Tehran, in the virtual occupation of the city by forces professing their loyalty to the Shah and to his appointed Prime Minister Zahedi."
Mossadeq was too much a man of the system to remain on the run. He turned himself in to General Zahedi's headquarters, where he was treated with courtesy and respect. Before the advent of the Islamic Republic, Persian politics were still marked by civility and decorum.
The coup that would be subject to so much historical controversy was not so much an American conspiracy as a reassertion of Iran's traditional classes alarmed about the radicalization of national politics. The street that Mossadeq had relied on rebelled against him. Many chroniclers of these events refuse to acknowledge that the shah was at the time a popular figure and the monarchy a trusted institution. Army officers, landowners, mullahs, and average citizens alike had confidence in the monarchy and were fearful that its absence would pave the way for the dreaded Communists.
In the ensuing decades, Kermit Roosevelt and other CIA alumni would embellish their role in toppling Mossadeq, but the U.S. government's after-action assessment was much more modest. The CIA itself noted that it was the shah's departure that turned the tide against Mossadeq. "The flight of the Shah brought home to the populace in a dramatic way how far Mossadeq had gone and galvanized the people into irate pro-Shah force," a CIA cable read. Similarly, the U.S. embassy reported that "not only members of Mossadeq regime but also pro-Shah supporters were amazed at latter's comparatively speedy and easy initial victory which was achieved with high degree of spontaneity." Eisenhower, who as supreme commander of Allied forces during World War II knew something about covert operations, dismissed Roosevelt's narrative as "more like a dime store novel than historical fact."
It is often suggested that the events of 1953 made the 1979 Islamic Revolution inevitable. This is another mythological narrative with little relationship to the facts. The shah, returning from exile, had the support of the public, the endorsement of Iran's important social classes, and the validation of a superpower benefactor. While continuing his drive to modernize Iran, he could have assembled an inclusive government and thereby built a resilient state capable of withstanding the revolutionary tremors of the 1970s. Instead, he opted for the path of autocracy and corruption that proved his undoing. Neither the Truman nor the Eisenhower administration should be blamed for not foreseeing, much less preventing, the shah's subsequent misfortunes. Nor should current American policymakers continue to operate under the illusion, as flattering as it might be to their vanity, that the United States singlehandedly toppled an Iranian leader. Mossadeq's fall was largely a matter between Iranians.
This article appears in full on CFR.org by permission of its original publisher. It was originally available here.


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Digital Scrapbook Day Schedule
Posted 03 November 2012 - 12:06 AM
3 November 2012
9:00 a.m. (ET) Color Challenge Chat
Join Theresa (teecee) for a special color challenge chat. We'll talk about color, and she will have a special color challenge for you. Hope to see you then!
10:30 a.m. (ET) Photo Manipulation Chat
Join Valerie (valerietuff3) and Melanie (mbc72) for a chat all about Photo Manipulation. We will talk about some of the many things you can do with your photos, from extractions and blending to styles and actions. Come along and learn some tips and have some fun as well.
12:00 p.m. (ET) Scraplift Challenge Chat
Join Carla (CRS) for a Scraplift Challenge Chat. What is scraplifting and is it legal? Carla will explain the etiquette and let you know who we are going to scraplift! Hope to see you there!
1:30 p.m. (ET) Jiffy Page Chat & Challenge
Join Valerie (valerietuff3) and Shannon (tinkerbell11) for a chat and challenge all about Jiffy Albums and Easy Page Albums. We will also talk about the difference between PNG and PSD files and help you get some layouts done quickly.
3:00 p.m. (ET) Double the Fun
Do you shudder when someone mentions a two-page layout? Well, you shouldn't! Join Shannon (tinkerbell11) in the Chat Room and learn some easy and simple tips to create awesome Double Pages; no need to be scared of them. You will be creating twice as many pages in no time!
4:30 p.m. (ET) Only in Digital
We are celebrating Digital Scrapbook Day - so let's celebrate what we can do digitally! The paper scrappers are missing out on some cool techniques that can only be done in digi. Come join Cheri (CheriT) Theresa (tiza126) and we'll discuss techniques and give you lots of cool ideas!
6:00 p.m. (ET) Templates
Join Theresa (Tiza126) for a Digital Scrapbook Day Template Chat! Templates are a great digital tool to help create your layouts. We'll discuss ways to use and manipulate templates to boost your digital scrapbooking. Hope to see you there!
7:30 p.m. (ET) Fun Little Surprise Challenge
Join April (April Showers) and Jody (jode2771) and we'll give you a fun little surprise challenge and some fresh ideas of ways to incorporate it into your pages. Hope to see you there.
9:00 p.m. (ET) Speed Scrap Crop
It's time for some speed! Join Carla (crs) and Theresa (teecee) for the Speed Scrap Crop! We'll give you some tasks, spread out over an hour. You'll then have an hour to get it finished and posted in the Gallery! Join us for some speed!
Those who post their completed layouts in the Scrap Girls Digital Scrapbook Day Gallery for all 9 of our Digital Scrapbook Day chats will be entered into a drawing for a $20.00 ScrapGirls Gift Certificate! The challenges for each chat will be posted here in the Digital Scrapbook Day Forum. To enter the drawing, send an email with your 9 layout links to email@example.com. Emails must be received by 11:59 p.m. Sunday November 4, 2012 to qualify for the drawing.
My Gallery I scrap with Photoshop CS6.
Posted 03 November 2012 - 11:14 PM
~ ~ ~ ~
Posted 04 November 2012 - 02:08 PM
Posted 10 November 2012 - 01:52 PM
My Gallery I scrap with Photoshop CS6.
Posted 10 November 2012 - 05:03 PM
"If you start over often enough, you begin to look consistent." --Dave Barnhart's Dad
Posted 10 November 2012 - 05:25 PM
Save the money!!
My Gallery Spread the Love
A good cheerleader is not measured by the height of her jumps but by the span of her spirit. ~Author Unknown
Posted 12 November 2012 - 07:19 PM
Posted 12 November 2012 - 07:33 PM
Woo Hoo! Can you see me jumping up and down? Thanks so much, Scrapgirls!
Yippee!! Congratulations Diane!
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Braxton Miller will start if healthy vs. Wisconsin
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - So what's QB Braxton Miller's status for Saturday's big game between the fourth-ranked Buckeyes and No. 23 Wisconsin?
Miller has missed all of the past two games and most of another with a sprained medial-collateral ligament in his left knee. Kenny Guiton has come on to dominate, tossing a school-record six touchdowns on Saturday in the 76-0 washout over undermanned Florida A&M. Guiton is tied for fourth nationally with 13 touchdown passes and his pass-efficiency rating is considerably higher than Miller, who started the first two games before being injured.
Here's what head coach Urban Meyer had to say on Monday about Miller, Guiton and who'll play against the Badgers ...
On who'll start: "Braxton, if he has a good week of practice, will start. We'll see how practice goes this week."
On whether both could play at the same time: "I don't know if that's reality. I keep thinking, I just love both those players. I think they are good players but I don't know what that gives you. If Kenny was a better wide receiver than one of our receivers, he would be playing receiver; if Braxton was a better running back or something (he'd be running the ball), but they are not."
On how healthy Miller is: "I'm saying he's around 90 right now. He'll be a hundred by next week, I'm hoping."
On whether he's confident he'll be 100 percent by Saturday: "What I saw (during a Sunday workout), I'm much more confident. I mean, he had a very good day."
On if he thought Miller would be rusty after sitting out the last 11 quarters: "That's a tough question. I will tell you this: that I am very comfortable with both quarterbacks. Braxton, I imagine, will have a little bit of rust. That's what I was hoping to get out of the way last week. So I'm going to practice him real hard this week.
On settling for Guiton to start: "Kenny Guiton has shown me he can go in (and play well), and I didn't know that."
INJURY REPORT: In addition to Miller, the Buckeyes figure may also get back DE Adolphus Washington. He missed last week's game with a groin injury. Meyer listed him as probable.
Also, they will get DL Michael Bennett (stinger), who took the FAMU game off to recover.
Freshman WR James Clark sustained an ankle injury vs. FAMU and his position coach, Zach Smith, said he was "probably done for the year."
FATHERLY ADVICE: Tim Spencer is one of the greatest RBs ever at Ohio State. So when he offers suggestions, you listen — even if he's your dad.
Spencer was an assistant coach for years in the NFL, but now is taking a year off after he was let go as part of the Lovie Smith regime with the Chicago Bears. That means he is able to go to the games — and talk about them for long periods afterward — of his WR son, Evan Spencer.
Evan was asked Monday if his dad, since he was a two-time All-Big Ten back and a former Buckeye MVP, ever critiqued Ohio State's current running backs.
"No. No, trust me, he critiques me too much," Evan said.
So, what does he talk about after games?
"He doesn't have a list. He's usually pretty quiet immediately after the game because my mom's still there," he said, laughing. "But later on when he can call me or we can talk alone, he's got a few things he likes to touch on."
Evan, who had two touchdown catches on Saturday, said it's a blessing to have his father available.
"I mean, it's awesome. It really is. It kind of feels like back in high school (in Vernon Hills, Ill.) when he got to go to the majority of my games," Evan said. "It's cool to have him there and I can look up on the sideline and see him there, just kind of egging me on, telling me to keep going, to keep grinding. It's really special and I'm thankful."


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Prices and availability are subject to change from the time and date that you print this page.
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We will accept returns and exchanges of non-furniture items if they are returned within 90 days of customer receipt, a valid proof of purchase is provided, and items are returned in good condition (unused and unwashed).
If you are not satisfied with your Stock furniture, rug or rug pad purchase, you must contact us within 7 days of delivery or pickup to arrange a return. The item must be returned within 30 days of delivery or pickup. The item will be inspected upon return, and a refund amount will be determined based on its condition. For furniture orders placed online, please call us at 800.933.9904. For orders placed through a store, please contact the store where the sale originated.
We require a 50% deposit for all Special Order upholstery. This deposit is nonrefundable after a 72-hour change/cancellation window. These items are made to your specifications and cannot be returned or exchanged.


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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February 4, 2013—Printing Industries of America's Human Relations Department today releases Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Wage and Hour Division (WHD) enforcement statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor. The data was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The WHD has not published enforcement statistics on its website since 2008; however, the data from FY 2008 to FY2012 is available on the Printing Industries of America website.
The WHD recovered more than $280 million in back wages for over 308,000 employees in FY 2012. While the dollar amount of back wages collected increased by over $54 million and the number of employees receiving back wages increased by over 24,000 compared to FY 2011, the number of complaints declined by almost 1,700. In addition, the number of concluded cases increased by 473. In 2009 the WHD hired some 250 additional investigators and approximately 100 in 2010. In FY 2012, approximately 1,000 FTEs were investigators of a total staff of 1,759. The agency concluded 34,139 compliance actions. Click here to view the WHD Enforcement Statistics for FY 2011 and FY2012.
The number of minimum wage violation cases remained stable in FY 2012 with just an additional 84 cases through FY 2011. However, back wages collected increased by almost $6 million. Overtime cases experienced a similar trend—just 65 additional cases through FY 2011, yet $3.4 million addition back wages were collected. Click here to view 2011 and 2012 Minimum Wage statistics; click here for 2011 and 2012 overtime statistics.
Back wages collected for workers in low-wage industries continues to increase. In FY 2012, the agency collected almost $98 million in back wages for over 124,000 workers in low-wage industries. The number of cases in low-wage industries increased by just over 1,000 cases in FY 2012 over FY 2011. Industries that experienced a significant increase in enforcement in FY 2012 included: agriculture, day care, restaurants, and hotels/motels. Click here for 2011 Low-Wage industries Statistics; click here for 2012 Low-Wage Industries Statistics.
The statistics show that child labor enforcement is declining. Results for fiscal year 2012 show a total of 1,614 minors found illegally employed, an average of 2.2 minors illegally employed per investigation. Cases and minors found employed have been on a steady decline since 2008. Click here for child labor statistics for FY 2011 and FY 2012.
The number of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) complaint cases concluded in FY 2012 declined by 556. The number of no violation cases also declined by 404, as did the number of violation cases, 382. The number of FMLA cases rose from fiscal year 2008 to a high of 2,319 in 2010, but for fiscal year 2012, the number of complaint cases was down to 1,723. Click here for FMLA Enforcement Statistics for FY 2011 and FY 2012.
The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has kept its promise in focusing on low-wage industries, according to Printing Industries of America's Jim Kyger, Assistant Vice President of Human Relations. However, the number of complaints has dropped dramatically from 31,824 in FY 2010 to 25,420 in FY 2012.
"Various causes could be attributed to the decline," Kyger explained. "For example, an improvement in the economy means employees are less fearful of their job and thus are less likely to make a compliant in order to seek job protections; employers are getting better compliance; and/or better screening by the Department of Labor of complaints as they come in."
The one issue that does not have an apparent answer, according to Kyger, is why the Wage and Hour Division has not published these statistics since 2009.
About Printing Industries of America
Printing Industries of America is the world's largest graphic arts trade association, representing an industry with approximately one million employees. It serves the interests thousands of member companies. Together with its nationwide affiliate network, Printing Industries delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency, and profitability of its members and the graphic communications industry through advocacy, education, research, and technical information.
Program Contact
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+1 202-527-2688
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Meconium aspiration syndrome occurs when a newborn baby breathes a mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid into the lungs around the time of delivery. It is a serious condition.
MAS; Meconium pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs)
Meconium is the early feces (stool) passed by a newborn soon after birth. It is passed from the body before the baby has started to digest breast milk (or formula).
In some cases, the baby passes meconium while still inside the uterus. This will happen when babies are "under stress" because the supply of blood and oxygen decreases. This is often due to problems with the placenta.
Once the meconium has passed into the surrounding amniotic fluid, the baby may breathe meconium into the lungs. This may happen while the baby is still in the uterus, or still covered by amniotic fluid after birth. The meconium can also block the infant's airways right after birth.
This condition is called meconium aspiration. It can cause breathing problems due to swelling (inflammation) in the baby's lungs after birth.
Risk factors that may cause stress on the baby before birth include:
Before birth, the fetal monitor may show a slow heart rate. During delivery or at birth, meconium can be seen in the amniotic fluid and on the infant.
The infant may need help with breathing or heartbeat right after birth, and may have a low Apgar score.
The health care team will listen to the infant's chest with a stethoscope and may hear abnormal breath sounds, especially coarse, crackly sounds.
A blood gas analysis will show low (acidic) blood pH, decreased oxygen, and increased carbon dioxide.
A chest x-ray may show patchy or streaky areas in the infant's lungs.
A special care team should be present when the baby is born if traces of meconium are found in the amniotic fluid. If the baby is active and crying, no treatment is needed.
If the baby is not active and crying right after delivery, a tube is placed in the infant's airway by a nurse or doctor. Suction is used to remove any meconium. This procedure may be repeated more than once.
If the baby is not breathing or has a low heart rate, the team will help the baby breathe using a face mask attached to a bag that delivers an oxygen mixture to inflate the baby's lungs.
The infant may be placed in the special care nursery or newborn intensive care unit in order to be watched closely. Other treatments may include:
In most cases, the outlook is excellent and there are no long-term health effects.
At times, meconium may be present at birth because there is a severe problem with your baby.
A serious problem with the blood circulation to and from the lungs may occur. This is called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). As a result, the baby may not be able to get enough blood into the lungs and out to the rest of the body.
Staying healthy during pregnancy and following your health care provider's advice can often prevent problems that lead to meconium being present.
Your healthcare providers will want to be prepared for meconium being present at birth if:
Abu-Shaweesh JM. Respiratory disorders in preterm and term infants. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 9th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier; 2010:chap 44.
Kattwinkel J, Perlman JM, et al. Part 15: neonatal resuscitation: 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2010;122:S909-S919. PMID: 20956231 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20956231.
Singh BS, Clark RH, Powers RJ, Spitzer AR. Meconium aspiration syndrome remains a significant problem in the NICU: outcomes and treatment patterns in term neonates admitted for intensive care during a ten-year period. J Perinatol. 2009;29:497-503. PMID: 19158800 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19158800.
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In February, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned West Point cadets, "When it comes to predicting the nature and location of our next military engagements, since Vietnam, our record has been perfect. We have never once gotten it right." Similarly, when commander of U.S. Central Command General James Mattis was asked what missions American ground forces might undertake ten years into the future, he responded, "As we look toward the future I've been a horrible prophet. I have never fought anywhere I expected to in all my years."
Such sentiments by senior officials, reinforced by the Arab Spring's unexpected start and trajectory, reflects America's dismal record at forecasting instability and conflicts abroad that are important to U.S. national interests. Indeed, presently there is no regular or systematic U.S. government process for the forecasting of potentially threatening developments that could arise, which is linked to contingency planning.
The Center for Preventive Action's annual Preventive Priorities Survey (PPS) is intended to help overcome this shortcoming by harnessing expert opinion to inform the U.S. policy community about the relative urgency and importance of competing conflict prevention demands in 2012. We do this by developing a list of 30 plausible human-generated contingencies of relative importance to U.S. national interests, grouped according to levels or categories of risk associated with various types of instability or conflict into three tiers:
- Tier one: Contingencies that could threaten the homeland, trigger U.S. military involvement because of treaty commitments, or threaten critical strategic resources.
- Tier two: Contingencies in countries of strategic importance but which are non-treaty allies.
- Tier three: Contingencies in countries of limited strategic importance, or in those where humanitarian consequences are likely to be severe or widespread.


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The Great Divide
Dear Alibi,
The world of politics seems to be getting more and more twisted. What little history I know tells me that this country has been through a number of schisms, the Civil War the most notable. We are smack dab in a schism right now, and once again it's the left versus the right, socialism versus fascism, hedonism versus Victorianism, art versus religion, peaceniks versus jingoists ...
I find myself interested in the new forms of resistance to our corporate and governmental corruption. The power of the Internet allows the battle between the lies and the debunking of those lies to be resolved overnight.
And what do the elites do? They move on to fresh lies, the lies cooked to perfection in their think tanks.
"Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom."
On the right the vigilance is rooted in weaponry and armies. On the left the vigilance seems to be rooted intellectually. I am not able to digest the propaganda from the right. I remain a leftistm and I am amazed at the outpouring of educational and useful information from the thinkers and pundits on the left since three things occurred: 1) The vile Bush/Cheney administration sickened all leftists and even many Republicans; 2) Wall Street pigs, with the help of their federal lap dogs, looted and thus destroyed the world economy and got away with their crime; 3) half-black half-white Barack Obama was elected President of the USA.
The view from my perch tells me that the right, the Republicans, have gone quite mad. Right now the right is frothing and drooling with racism and misogyny, a two-card straight. Do Republicans really believe that the world must backtrack to 1953, or 1341, or 10000 B.C.? There is a massive clot of Americans who were not in any way affected in a positive manner by the revolution we call the '60s. At least 40 percent of our population does not cross over and embrace the huge social changes that took place on all fronts during that era.
Therein lies the secret to the American schism. Some folks change with the times, some don't.
Greg Leichner
Rio Rancho Runoff
Dear Alibi,
[Re: News, "From Toilet to Tap," Feb. 23-29] So there is a "bubble" below the Rio Rancho injection site—that can only further impede movement of any contaminants. Yes, jet fuel contaminants move faster, as they are more mobile than water, but as Rio Rancho won't be injecting any jet fuel, why is this an issue? So the aquifer flows towards the Rio Grande—as it doesn't feed the river, why is this a problem? Treated effluent must meet EPA standards to be sent to the river, so why is sending it to the aquifer an issue?
If you are really concerned about what reaches the river, perhaps you might consider the untreated runoff that reaches the Rio every day. I'd be more concerned about the toxic elements in what drains from our roads, parking lots, parks, golf courses and fertilized lawns than what might someday filter through the aquifer to the river.
Comment from alibi.com
Choice Medicine
Dear Alibi,
[Re: Feature, "A Picture of Health," March 22-28] Thank you for pointing out the merits of a system that is adopting the medical home model. First Choice recognizes that patients want to have their medical and dental needs met in a holistic manner. Continuity is key to the success of a person's health. Knowing one's provider and establishing a trusting relationship is so important. With the challenges of rising health care costs, bravo to First Choice for really serving the community!
Comment from alibi.com
Gay in the Green Party
Dear Alibi,
[Re: Letters, "The Right Side of History," March 15-21] How sad that in this day and age the Democratic Party still has not fully embraced the full rights of persons in the LGBT community. In fact a recent headline stated "LGBT Activists and DNC Spar over 2012 Election Platform." Change does not seem to be not coming soon enough, and too many Democrats—rank and file, party officials and officeholders—are almost indistinguishable from Republicans in their views on this and other issues.
I agree that nothing would have changed if abolitionists, suffragettes and civil rights activists had not / do not made their voices heard loudly. I'm only thankful that the party that speaks for me, the Green Party of the U.S., spells their commitment to LGBT equality out in our party platform plainly and clearly:
"In keeping with the Green Key Values of diversity, social justice and feminism, we support full legal and political equality for all persons, regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, characteristics, and expression."
Going further to state:
"The Green Party affirms the rights of all individuals to freely choose intimate partners, regardless of their sex, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
"The Green Party recognizes the equal rights of persons who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, intersex, transsexual, queer, or transgender to housing, jobs, civil marriage, medical benefits, child custody, and in all areas of life including equal tax treatment."
Sometimes parties think they OWN your vote ... perhaps it's time to make them EARN your vote?
Comment from alibi.com
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Here's the rub–even though we need primary care physicians more than ever, there is a shortage and not enough new doctors in the pipeline. KCPT special correspondent Sam Zeff reports that in Kansas, the impact of massive tax cuts on funding for higher education may make the problem even worse As Zeff's report reveals, it is not all bad news. A recent study ranked the KU School of Medicine in Wichita sixth in the nation for producing primary care physicians. (Production support for this segment by Majestic Rhinos.)
As part of a joint reporting partnership, Aileen Leblanc at our sister station KMUW in Wichita has been taking a closer look:
By Aileen LeBlanc
An Unmeasured Program
Back in the '60s when Medicare and Medicaid were born, Congress was concerned that there needed to be a way to insure that there were enough outlets for the care of people covered by the new programs. Funding was designated for Graduate Medical Education. The money was given to teaching hospitals for the training of new doctors.
Some 13 billion tax dollars go into this program annually. But there never was a system to direct exactly how the dollars were used.
Andrew Bazemore, MD, director, Robert Graham Center, Washington , DC
"There was no effort to create metrics of what would be produced. And really the hospitals were left to determine where the residency positions would be directed and to decide, based on their own local needs, and locally typically being the hospital's needs, where to position their resources."
Things got out of balance. The large hospitals groom doctors for their high-tech expensive units, and the doctors saw the specialties and subspecialties as being a good way to go: more money, less work and a quicker way to pay off those nasty medical school debts.
But let's back up and go to Kansas. Belleville, Kansas. Population: About 2,000.
Belleville is named for Arabelle Tutton, wife of A.B. Tutton founder of the town some 144 years ago. Belleville sits at the crossroads of America and brags the world's fastest half mile dirt track for racing. The track's operator, Mr. McChesney , is in the clinic today with a sore hand.


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Comment Re: GameStop, etc. (Score 1) 395
Most of GameStop's profits come from used game sales. They make next to no profit on new games--that money goes almost wholly to the publisher.
That's what I thought, too. Then I read this today:
Interestingly, [GameStop president Tony] Bartel revealed that 70 per cent of GameStop's $1 billion market sales comes from the sale of new games rather than pre-owned ones.


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When HBO's The Wire hit the network back in 2002, it instantly because a cult classic. Corner huggers across the nation, and future presidents alike, were tuning in to get an inside look at the Baltimore drug scene, seen through the eyes of both drug dealers and law enforcement.
VIDEO: Michael K. Williams On Why President Obama Is His Greatest Inspiration
Of the many members making up the star studded cast, two exceptional stand outs are Michael K. Williams, who played the homosexual Omar Little, and Felicia "Snoop" Pearson, who played an amped of version of herself. Felicia is best known as the killer named after herself on The Wire, and her real life persona soon became muddled with the TV character who Steven King declared "…the most terrifying villain to ever appear in a television series."
VIDEO: HBO's "The Wire" Goes From The Streets Of Baltimore To Broadway!
GlobalGrind was graced with the presence of both Michael and Felicia, who sat down one-on-one for a heartfelt interview. Check it out in the video below!


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What is Reading Recovery®?
- Reading Recovery is a short-term Early Literacy Intervention for first graders identified as having difficulty learning to read and write.
- Children receive intensive, individualized instruction from a specially trained Reading Recovery teacher.
- Reading Recovery students receive a 30-minute lesson each school day for 12 to 20 weeks.
- As soon as students can read within the average range of their class and continue independent literacy learning in the regular classroom, their lessons are discontinued, and new students begin individual instruction.
What is Descubriendo la Lectura?
- Descubriendo la Lectura (DLL) is the reconstruction of Reading Recovery® for first graders who are receiving their initial literacy instruction in Spanish.
- Spanish-speaking students in bilingual classrooms who struggle to learn to read and write receive intensive, individualized instruction in Spanish from certified bilingual teachers who are specially trained to work with early literacy in Spanish.
- DLL students receive a 30-minute daily lessons for 12 to 20 weeks.
- Lessons are discontinued as soon as students can read within the average range of their class and continue independent literacy learning in the regular classroom.


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BirdsOwlsAll families
ADULT MALE Has orange-buff upperparts that are speckled with tiny black and white dots. Underparts a… read more
ADULT Has reddish brown plumage overall. Upperparts are beautifully patterned with pale spots, large… read more
ADULT Has rich brown plumage overall. Upperparts are marked with bold white spots, smallest and dens… read more
ADULT AND JUVENILE Buffy brown overall, but heavily spotted and streaked on upperparts, including ne… read more
ADULT AND JUVENILE Have dark brown upperparts and paler underparts; however, whole body is heavily s… read more
ADULT Gray-brown overall, but upperparts are beautifully patterned with pale spots (smallest on head… read more
ADULT Has mostly brown plumage overall, beautifully patterned on upperparts and resembling tree bark… read more
ADULT Has reddish brown upperparts and tail, with delicate pale streaks on head and nape, and spots … read more
6 3/4" (17 cm). A small, usually rust-colored owl, with tail usually barred rufous and brown or brow… read more
ADULT Has brown to gray-brown plumage overall (interior birds are grayer than those on Pacific coast… read more
ADULT Has mainly reddish brown plumage overall; upperparts are adorned with buff spots, particularly… read more
ADULT MALE Has essentially pure white plumage with small black spots and bars; at close range, feath… read more
ADULT Either reddish brown overall or gray-brown. Upperparts are beautifully patterned with fine dar… read more
ADULT Has plumage color overall that varies from reddish brown in southeast of range to gray-brown i… read more
ADULT Either brown overall or gray-brown; gray forms predominate in deserts in south. Upperparts are… read more
ADULT Has mainly gray-brown plumage, upperparts with intricate darker markings; underparts are barre… read more
ADULT Has rich brown plumage overall, adorned with white spots on head, neck, back, and underparts. … read more
17-19" (41.5-48.5 cm). A medium-size, round-headed, dark-eyed owl of dense northern forests. Dark br… read more
ADULT Has brown plumage overall; upperparts are dark brown, but beautifully marked with white spots,… read more
ADULT Gray-brown overall. Upperparts are marked with pale spots, smallest and densest on head; under… read more
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Notable 2013 Unrestricted Free Agents: QB Matt Moore, RB Reggie Bush, WR Brian Hartline, TE Anthony Fasano, OLT Jake Long,
DT Randy Starks, LCB Sean Smith, FS Chris Clemons
Notable 2014 Unrestricted Free Agents: WR Davone Bess, LG Richie Incognito, RG John Jerry, DT Paul Soliai, SLB Koa Misi, CB Nolan Carroll, SS Reshad Jones, K Dan Carpenter
Potential 2013 Cap Casualties: LG Richie Incognito, MLB Karlos Dansby, CB Richard Marshall
Offensive Scheme: Mike Shermans playbook is heavily influenced by the Mike Holmgren West Coast Offense. The standard up-tempo, rhythm passing attack is featured, but Sherman has added a few wrinkles. Sherman employs a zone-blocking scheme, but leans on a power-running game more often than your classic WCO desciple. Sherman is also unafraid to take his fair share of deep shots downfield; an element rarely seen in a standard WCO that makes its living attacking underneath.
In Shermans scheme, runners must display a decisive, quick burst through the hole, and possess reliable hands for the passing game. Pristine route-running, short-area quickness, and the ability to get tough yards after the catch are valued traits for a WR in Shermans scheme; size and straight-line speed are just gravy. The offensive linemen must be intelligent and stout at the point of attack, yet athletic enough to get out and block at the second level.
Defensive Scheme: Kevin Coyle cut his schematic teeth under Mike Zimmer and Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, so it comes as no surprise that Coyles 4-3/3-4 hybrid closely resembles the Bengals defense. As in Cincinnati, the front seven is comprised of rangy athletes who are flexible enough to vacillate between the 4-3 and 3-4. A massive, run-stopping presence capable of anchoring both sets is critical in Coyles scheme. In the secondary, Coyle prefers big, aggressive athletes for his press-zone. The corners should be physical in man-coverage, and intelligent, rangy safeties are required in the two-deep zone.
In the War Room: On paper, the Miami draft day decision-making unit consists of GM Jeff Ireland, his right-hand man Brian Gaine, and head coach Joe Philbin. However, some would argue that Stephen Ross is the man behind the curtain.
It does seem odd that a whimsical owner like Ross has staunchly defended the embattled Ireland for this long. Were talking about a guy who wooed Jim Harbaugh while Tony Sparano was still under contract, and scrapped Miamis beloved old fight song for no apparent reason. Ross is obviously a change for changes sake kinda guy, yet hes been hesitant to make the one move that Fins fans have clamored for the loudest; to fire Ireland. Its all pretty fishy and seems to offer credence to those who suggest that Ireland and Philbin are little more than Ross puppets. However, theres also the possibility that Ross has embraced the idea of stability, for the good of his organization. Time will tell.
As for Irelands personnel track record, its spotty, but not as awful as some would have you believe. Sure, there have been some draft and free agency whiffs (Pat White, Ernest Wilford, etc.), but youll have that. Ireland has also had his wins; Tannehill shows promise. Pouncey was a direct hit in the first round. Odrick and Misi have begun to emerge. Hartline, Clay, Clemons, and R. Jones were nice third-day gets. Bess and Carpenter were UFA gems. Dansby was a solid F.A. signing, and bringing Cameron Wake across the border was an all-time heady move.
Like his mentor, Bill Parcells, Ireland plays it relatively safe on draft day. He fills needs, and when in doubt, hell usually address the trenches Ireland seems to have an affinity for BIG 10 prospects; perhaps another trait inherited from Parcells Philbin brought the build through the draft philosophy with him from Green Bay, and appears to be an important voice in the Miami war room. I dont expect Miami to be major players in free agency.
2013 NFL Draft Picks: (9) 1st, 2nd, 2nd (from Colts), 3rd, 3rd (from Bears), 4th, 5th, 6th (from Colts/conditional), 7th
Team Needs:
1. Cornerback Sean Smith is an enigma. One week, he looks like a potential Pro-Bowler; the next week, hes getting beat like a rug. Nevertheless, hes the best that Miami has to offer at CB and hes a free agent after this season. I doubt that Miami lets Smith walk, but more is still needed. Richard Marshall is a decent starter, but hes on the I.R. with a troublesome back injury, and the fact that hes on his third different team in three seasons doesnt inspire confidence. Nickel corner Nolan Carroll appears to be in over his head as a starter. Newly acquired Dimitri Patterson is a bum.
Alabamas Dee Milliner is a big, physical corner custom-built for Coyles scheme. Miami would probably have to move up to secure Milliner, making second-day prospects like Oregon States Jordan Poyer or Utah States Will Davis more realistic options.
2. Wide ReceiverMiami could use a true #1 receiver to complement Brian Hartline and Davone Bess and thats assuming that Hartline and Bess are re-signed. A sizeable deep threat is needed to accelerate Ryan Tannehills development, so while Greg Jennings familiarity with Philbin seems to make him a logical free agency target, I expect Ireland and Co. to get younger and faster at WR via the draft. Tennessees explosive Cordarrelle Patterson (think a big Percy Harvin) could be a first round target. The Dolphins may wait until the second round to gamble on the upside of one of Pattersons former teammates, Justin Hunter, or another ex-Vol, Tennessee Techs DaRick Rogers.
3. Offensive TackleWhat to do with Jake Long? How the Dolphins ultimately approach the 2013 NFL Draft may hinge on the answer to that question. Should Ireland decide to bite the $15.4 million bullet and Franchise Long, the need for an OT will fall behind the need for a pass-rushing complement to Wake. If Long is allowed to walk, the need for a tackle rockets up the charts.
While Long has declined due to injury, hes still only 27 years old and a serviceable performer. Letting him walk with no backup plan in place would be risky business. To entrust Jonathan Martin with protecting Tannehills blindside would be a monumental leap of faith, and potentially detrimental to the young quarterbacks development. Im guessing that Long remains in Miami, but if Im wrong, I wouldnt be surprised if the Dolphins trade into the top three (Jacksonville and/or Oakland could be looking to trade down) to grab Texas A&Ms Luke Joeckel. Mike Sherman is familiar with Joeckel after their days together in College Station. If Long bolts, I have a hunch that (as in the 12 draft with Ryan Tannehill) Sherman gets in the ear of Jeff Ireland and lobbies for Joeckel.
Miami needs a much more athletic offensive line.
Mike Pouncey is the best center in the NFL, while Jonathan Martin has proven to be serviceable at left tackle. Right tackle still must be addressed (and could be by sliding John Jerry there), but the guard position leaves much to be desired in terms of athleticism.
My solution would be for Miami to sign Andy Levitre, who has been a solid part of Buffalo's offensive line since the Bills drafted him in 2009, and he has never missed a game. The Dolphins could either move him to right guard, or move Richie Incognito to the right guard slot (or better yet, draft another guard).
The better solution would be to move Incognito to the right guard spot because he's actually played that position pretty well in the past. In fact, he only started playing left guard when he signed with the Dolphins.
Signing Levitre also takes one of Buffalo's biggest weapons away from them. He's been a spectacular run blocker who also does well taking care of the quarterback.
If there's anyone on the Dolphins who would be excited to sign Levitre, it would be the Dolphins defensive line, who know very well how difficult it can be to go up against the former Oregon State Beaver.
I've also been pretty high on the possibility of signing Derek Cox of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and for good reason.
Derek Cox is a pretty good cover corner. He finished out the 2012 season with four interceptions, a forced fumble and 60 tackles. You'll notice teams don't pick on him on the basis that he is the Jaguars' best cornerback.
He's also the best cornerback available on the open market, and someone the Dolphins should take a look at.
Signing him to play opposite Sean Smith would improve Miami's secondary. Signing him to replace Sean Smith and play alongside whichever player Miami chooses to draft also improves Miami's secondary.
Jared Cook is a young, strong and athletic tight end who's a bit of a hidden secret in the NFL.
The reason for that? The Titans offensive system, which tends to ignore Cook. In Miami's system he's sure to thrive along side Charles Clay and (if there's anything really in him), Michael Egnew.
Cook ended 2012 with 44 catches for 523 yards and four touchdowns. The number of touchdowns should rise in Miami as Ryan Tannehill could use him as a credible end-zone threat, something that the Titans very rarely use him for.
How could they have a weapon like that and leave him on the shelf? I don't know. But in Miami, he should be a key player ready to jump up to the second echelon of tight ends.
A torn Achilles tendon kept Grimes out for most of the year with the Falcons. However, his body of work up to this season has been a good one, and the injury should make him a bargain.
Grimes will be 30 at the beginning of next season and most likely better suited for a short-term contract that's incentive laden. Prior to his Achilles tendon injury this season, he had recorded 254 tackles and 13 interceptions in five seasons with Atlanta.
It would be an inexpensive gamble for Miami to take, but one that would pay off in 2013.
Jennings is the only player on this list who is still playing as of now, as he's getting ready for the Packers' playoff tilt with the Minnesota Vikings.
Despite that, articles like this get published, titled "More Evidence of Greg Jennings Coming to Miami?" (h/t ESPN.com). What does it say? It contains tweets made by Jenning's sister....a family member of Jennings provided further evidence last weekend that Miami could be on the receivers radar. Jennings sister, Valyencia, reportedly went off on her Twitter account (which is now deleted) a few days ago during Green Bays loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The USA Today captured all the tweets.Of course, I've been beating the drum about Miami going after Jennings throughout the season. The reason why it's so intriguing is simple football. Miami has cap space and a huge need at wide receiver.
Who can make a play @GregJennings can. Hes the best freakin [sic] receiver these clowns got, Valyencia Jennings tweeted out of frustration. Now take your talents to south beach and get paid.
Ouch! But there is more.
@GregJennings ball out so you can leave this team, Valyencia Jennings tweeted of the Packers. They will miss u when your [sic] gone. Its all good bye Packers. Cheap team, cant afford him.
Although Greg Jennings cant and wont say anything about the Dolphins while he is still under contract, you have to think Miami has come up at some point with the Jennings family. Valyencia didnt just bring up the Dolphins Sunday out of thin air over every other team. Greg Jennings and his family have to be aware of what the Dolphins need, his connection with Philbin and the money Miami is willing to spend. It would make sense for Jennings and the Dolphins to be near the top of each other's offseason wish list.
Jennings will likely need a new home since the Packers are flush with receivers and will likely spend what money they have elsewhere (like a defense capable of slowing down Adrian Peterson).
Jennings is also familiar with Miami's offensive system since it is the West Coast offense he's been running in Green Bay since his rookie season. His offensive coordinator for most of that time: Joe Philbin, head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
The man who drafted Jennings? Well, it wasn't Mike Sherman (who was fired the season prior to Jennings being drafted by the Packers), but Sherman did scout him out while he was still in Green Bay.
This seems destined to happen, and if it does, it would be a major coup for Miami.
Miami has plenty of needs that signing these free agents (if they do sign them all) will not cover. While I'm sure many of you are wondering where Mike Wallace and Dwayne Bowe are not on the list, the reason is because Jennings is a better fit for the system in place and will come cheaper than either of those two receivers.
Wouldn't you rather use Wallace and Bowe money on a cornerback and guard that can create big plays on defense and protect Tannehill well on offense and allow him to make big plays?
The other reason is because Miami will be able to find plenty of capable receivers in Round 2 of the draft. Round 1, in my opinion, should be used on either a pass rusher or an offensive lineman.
The draft is where this team will be built, but these five free agents would fit in with the Dolphins very well if they are signed.