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Today's New York Times story tells us that America is Europe: http://www.nyt
It kind of helped me make sense of some of the notions that libertarians go on about government=evi
*feels like a bear with a small brain sometimes*
Guys. Nineteen nineties. http://www.buz
And the internet replaces the last reason there was to go outside (which was having your mind boggled by the night sky) : http://media.s
This guy might end up being the world's first Mormon head of state:
Did you hear that noise? It sounded like someone saying "Mitt Romney, eat your heart out"? o.O Weird.
At work I've been listening to some old New Yorker Out Loud podcasts, and the hilarious thing is that the phone I listen to them on plays them in alphabetical order. This was fine for Planet Money podcasts because all the filenames start with #233 or the likes, the number of the episode. So I listen to them in order. New Yorker Out Loud filenames begin with the name of the person, like "Adam Gopnik discusses the new cuisine movement Le Fooding". So first I heard all the interviews with Adam Gopnik, and then all the ones with Ariel Levy, and so on. It makes it really interesting because I kind of learn to get to know the person who writes for the New Yorker - but it's also hard because I have no idea what the time frame is. So at one point they were talking about the elections and the Obama's, and not until they said "so if Michelle Obama becomes first lady..." and I was like "...what? Don't you mean stays as first lady?" until I twigged - this podcast is four years old. >_> Should probably just delete all the ones that are that old - but some stories don't get old. Like I listened to one about the problem Florida has with burmese pythons and nile monitors (when people had them as pets and then released them into the wild and now they are a problem because there's so many and it's not their natural habitat etc...) So if I'm ever in Florida and see something that looks like a small Komodo dragon... I'll probably die of fright because these guys made it sound absolutely horrifying and there's no hope of survival, basically :P Yet another reason to never go to Florida.
And another story (and I want you Silvie to hear this some day) was about a woman who had an itch on her forehead and it never stopped itching and she kept scratching at it for years and years, and... she scratched through the bone of her skull and into her brain O_O Honestly, she really did. And they were discussing how the itch was probably something that the brain was making up (kinda like when people feel pain in an amputated limb) because that part of her head was already numb so it couldn't have been the nerves and stuff, and then they went ahead and actually severed the nerves that connected to that part of her, and no help, it still felt itchy to her. Anyway. Cool podcasts that have annoying filenames that makes my worknights just a little bit more interesting :P
I love reading about psychological experiments, especially ones performed on kids http://campaig
Long story time again (though this one might explain why all my stories are long):
I was listening to This American Life, last week's episode about playing roles, and they did a story about a man with Asberger's and how he is learning to behave more normal because he loves his wife and doesn't want to stress her out all the time what with being... well, Aspie. And the story starts with that they didn't know he had Asberger's for a really long time (and she works in the field of psychology). And she came across a quiz online about Asberger's, so she didn't tell him what it was, just asked the questions, and then before pressing submit she told him what it was and if he was ready. And the quiz indicated "yeah, Aspie" and so they went to a doctor to get a proper diagnosis and hey presto, Asberger's. What caught my ear in the story was when she was talking she mentioned one of the questions and said "I thought it had a typo or something, the question says 'do you ever fantasise about making traps?'" and he said "yes, all the time :O" And I thought, what a strange question, I want to see all of these questions, sounds fascinating.
So they link to the quiz on the ThisAmLife website, so I went to look, and I filled it out - not thinking "amg, what if I'm an Aspie?" but more like... "hmm, I wonder what I would say if someone asked me this question?" And of course with online quizzes there's always the "none of the answers reflects my response right" problem, so did this but not a lot because when you have a question of "do you ever" or "have you done" or "do you often" and the answers are ? 0 1 and 2 (don't know, no, sometimes, yes) it's not that hard to find a balance, plus some I just left in ? mode.
So overall it's seems to be a very well thought-out quiz, it doesn't look fancy so that suggests it was done by proper scientists (:P) and the results it gives are astonishingly detailed, it gives like a 14-page PDF where it analyses every question, gives a neat graph where the traits of Aspies and Neurotypicals (aka people off the Autistic spectrum) are juxtaposed etc... So it was fascinating to go through your answers to the questions and compare them to what Aspies and NTs would reply to the same stuff.
The thing that made this a very strange experience was that with a lot of the questions my reaction upon reading it was "uhh, doesn't everybody?" Like "do you need to do things yourself in order to remember them?" or "do you need lists and schedules in order to get things done?"
I must admit that I have a bit of a problem with Asberger's as a disorder. Because it seems to me that it just makes you kind of strange and awkward, it doesn't mean you need to take some kind of pills to fix yourself, it doesn't mean you can't function - it just means you're "different" from "normal". Maybe it's not the person's fault that they have a hard time in society, maybe it's society's fault when we're all so quick to judge others. The whole diagnosis of Asberger's is basically comparing against some kind of "normalcy" and saying "whoops, you deviate from this standard of normal, therefore you must have a disorder." My other problem with Asberger's is that it's... kind of easy (sorry I know this is a horrible thing to say, please forgive me if you have Asberger's and really struggle because of it, I'm just an ignorant tit, what do I know!? But let's face it, being an Idiot Savant or having some stronger form of autism would be much harder). And the reason I resent the easiness of Asberger's while it is still a diagnosed disorder is Lars. >_> You don't need to know much about him, but he hid behind his Asberger's and refused to do something with himself and his life "because of my Asberger's y'know, I can't..." I had a lot of faith in him that he could, but either he used his Asberger's as an excuse, or (even worse) he himself was disabled by the diagnosis: I have a disorder, therefore I can't because somebody somewhere says I can't. Or he really actually couldn't. I'll never know. But it broke my heart. Anyway. That's all TMI... But maybe I'm an Aspie and can't help saying and typing awkward things. Yeah, my quiz result said "you are very likely an Aspie" and if I was living in an English-speaki
So if you survived this far, here's the quiz http://rdos.ne
Cool sci-fi short story http://mormona
Also on the table today: spring cleaning http://www.nyt
This last one is a little slow on the start, but the second page is fascinating reading (it's about the connections between distraction and creativity) http://www.nyt
There. I have nothing more to give you. I have worked hard this morning (we got another foot of snow >.< ) and I started a drawing yesterday that might turn into something, even though it's nothing in particular, but it would be nice to finish it since it's been a long time since I last finished anything :/ So I shall go have breakfast now, take the dog for a walk, and then come back and draw and listen to stuff.
Humm, I just made a diary entry this morning and now it is gone :O I hope it comes back... I wonder if I deleted it by accident or something :/
It had a link to http://thomasc
But I also want to link to this now http://thisisn
[Avaz] said something very interesting in <forum:Junk> today: [738690]
"The world could more iippos."
In other news, winter has reached the point that I like to call the Narnia point. It's the point of eternal winter. The point where Christmas is so long gone that you've forgotten all about it, you have also forgotten all the time before winter, and spring is still such a distant thing that it really doesn't even exist. You have not seen ground or grass in a really long time, and you are used to the idea that the mass beneath your feet that you must walk upon cannot be trusted and falling over is imminent all the time. You have forgotten what it's like to not be cold, and really, you can see no possible way of ever being warm again. Warm and cold have thus lost their meanings. If the sun is out and you turn your face towards it and you feel no warmth.
And in two weeks or so I shall be walking in England's green and pleasant land :)
You know how I rave about This American Life and no one else does? Well, I'm turning another leaf in all things NPR: Planet Money! :O How awesome is their podcast?! Thanks to the Planet Money zen, I now understand a lot more about the European Debt Crisis. Heck, I even know what it indicates when they mention the interest on France's or Italy's ten year government bonds. I now understand the importance of rice to not only to the human beings living in Asia but also to all the economies of the Asian countries. I now understand what the heck is going on in The Dark Knight when Bruce Wayne tells Harvey Dent that he will throw him a fundraiser and what it implies and why Harvey would be a little bit nervous about that like he is (and then why he would be all-out afraid at the event itself).
And then they tell me about awesome things like this http://www.you
*edit* Round 2! http://www.you
NPR (and PRI) has now officially entered my list of acronyms that mean cool and important public broadcasting work along with BBC and YLE.
In case you love movies more than Valentine's Day: http://vimeo.c
In honour of Valentine's Day, here's a lesson on what love is:
I am such a kid, but I love Sesame Street so much <3
So I've recently got into Brad Paisley (I know, it's pretty outrageous: the iippo officially likes country music now o.O ) but this one song "Online" is not one of my favourites (even though it has a really awesome moment using the Mac start up noise, it's win :P) but it's an serious earworm so I've actually been thinking about it a lot.
It's a pretty simple "hey aren't people ridiculous when they pretend to be something else on the internet" song, with a pretty catchy thing going with "I'm so much cooler online". The sad fact is of course that I think I'm so much cooler online, but not in the way that is implied in the song (aka I pretend to be cooler than I really am), but in the sense that I'm not as shy and reserved, and I communicate better in text than in speech, and I actually have a peer group online that is actually more like me and lets me relax and be myself (growing up in a small town and being a little bit... peculiar is no treat: you either conform and pretend to be something you're not, or you stick out like a sore thumb).
Something I've noticed with this rising interest in country that I have developed is that country music videos are way literal o.O It drove me crazy at first with Taylor Swift, but now I'm kind of liking the added dimension when the song and the video are actually about the same thing. And the strong points of the "Online" video are when you see Brad himself (instead of the geek playing the main role in the video) being the person who is cooler online. If they had not had the short, plump nerd in the main role there but the singer himself all the way through, the whole thing would have been so much cooler. 'Cause, y'know, Brad Paisley is cool, but even he is cooler online. At least it would have steered the video away from the social stigma of "this is what geeks look like and everyone on the internet is in reality a sad ugly person". Also he's written a number of songs that are a gentle mockery/social critique ("Celebrity" and "Alcohol") where he himself takes some of the stings along with the rest of us. Self irony is cool.
Ah well. The song is dated (MySpace? Pfft) and it shows, and that's okay. But yes, the thought behind all this was when the song was stuck in my head on the bikeride to work and I realised that the reverse is more of a concern in my life: I don't really have to worry about someone I know online to turn out to be something else than they said (being cooler online than in real life), but it's always such a drag to find out that someone you know and like isn't as cool online <_< Like they spell bad or use text-speak, or don't get the internet. And especially now with Facebook when everyone's online with their real name and...
Yeah, someone needs to make a Web 2.0 version of this song :P
The song itself, "Online"
Then a couple of the ones I really enjoy:
-Little Moments (ode to real in relationships) http://www.you
-He Didn't Have to Be (ode to step fathers) http://www.you
-Welcome to the Future http://www.you
-Whiskey Lullaby http://www.you
O___O Aaaaarghh!
Buh! really trippy. I can just about imagine what kind of a head asplosion I would get if I saw that in reality.
Made me realise something very interesting about vision and its importance to me. So... thanks for messing with the universe like this, cool person?
What is the difference between secret and private?
OK Go + a car with pneumatic arms + a couple of thousand of instruments + a lot of space in a desert = incredible music.
The article says Russia and China take some of the blame for this. But there should be some kind of an international.
Hey, why doesn't the word "article" mean some kind of an oblong art? One that possibly develops over a long period of time? Or perhaps an oblong art making tool, like a pencil or a brush? Like, "Cause of death: stabbed with an article."
Some men just want to see the world burn. And some just want to wear cool socks.
Oh and the part about "girls notice"? Is true :)
Hi guys. So you know how I often rave about This American Life? Yeah, you just tuned out, right? But please come back and I'll tell you an awesome story of what happened at work today and it involves 140 Euros! Anyway, firs the bit about ThisAmLife, and this is not about the radio show, but their blog. Here's the link http://www.thi
So anyway, this morning at work I was late, it was past 6am in a straiwell, and I found that someone had dropped money in the stairs, two 50€ and two 20€. And in case your currency conversion's not up-to-date, I'll translate for you: that's kind of a lot of monnie. So much in fact that I left it there, hoping that the real owner would come along (hopefully having noticed that they dropped that much money and retracing their steps and discovering their money safely inside their apartment building) before someone more opportunistic did. It was kind of a strange encounter though, to all of a sudden be faced with kind of a lot of monnie like that. It's a strange feeling. Can't really go as far as say that it's an encounter with the sublime, but it's not far off, y'know.
Also discovered that while the Tate art symposia recordings/pod
My dog woke me up twice last night (second time at ten to one am, only fifteen minutes before I was supposed to get up! >.<) for no real reason, just because he wasn't sleepy. Suffice to say he's sleepy now. So my plan is to take him for a walk in the afternoon, and then poke him and tease him all evening so he can't sleep again until it's actually night time. Stuppid messed up sleep rhythm -ed dog.
I asked my dad just now how cold it is outside, and he said it's -24. And I said "huh, last night at work it was only -20" and then realised that something is wrong somewhere, when -20 is "only -20". Y'see, -10 or -15 or thereabouts is nosehair freezing cold. -20 makes your eyelashes freeze together. It makes your eyes so cold you get a headache, and there is nothing you can do because there just isn't a scarf or mittens that you can wear on your eyes.
First time I'm seeing something like this on the interwebs: http://www.nin
Anyhoo, you know the Finnish presidential election thingie? We're in second round, with two very competent candidates, and election day is Sunday. And this would be a very incredibly interesting race, since they are both very capable of being a very good president - except that there's this really lame reduction going on with a lot of the discussion going on around them. You might even say that it's kind of gay. Because one of the candidates is gay and has a husband, the other is not gay and has a wife. So a lot of the writing and commenting around the election is "is Finland ready for a gay president" and "imagine what the more conservative countries will say/think if we have a gay president" and the Basic Finns are going "we can't vote for anybody now" (because the last thing they want to vote is for a Kokoomus (Finnish version of Republican/Tor
But life is happy, singing and reading and writing and art!


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FamilySearch Wiki:Help wanted on the Idaho pages
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subset: commoncrawl


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UPDATE: Police Officer Under Investigation After Violently Assaulting Woman At Pittsburgh Pride
Updated Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. PST
Following Monday's reveal of footage showing the violent assault and arrest of a woman at a Pittsburgh Pride festival by a police officer, Pittsburgh mayor William Peduto has announced that the officer is question is now under investigation.
Moments into the shaky 15-second video clip that was shared widely on social media, Souroth Chatterji, a male police officer, can be seen dragging Ariel Lawther, 19, who attended the march, down by the hair and punching her in her torso.
Lawther was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. A criminal complaint said Lawther had been in an altercation with an anti-gay protester, and then began hitting the officer as he tried to break up the fight, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
"I just want to reassure the people that this is a new day, we won't look the other way when incidents like this happen," Peduto said at a press conference on Monday.
He said that the officer would be on desk duty for 30 days while the incident was investigated by the city's Office of Municipal Investigations.
"And we want to assure everybody, and that includes both the public and the police, that we want fairness," the mayor said.
Towleroad has also provided another unedited video of the assault, which doesn't appear to validate the police officer's use of excessive force:
What's your take, Instincters?
Original Post
Terrifying video of a police officer assaulting a woman on Saturday at Pittsburgh's LGBT Pride in the Street festival is making its way around the internet.
The video was originally posted on Facebook by Jenna Renee Kenny, who writes:
"EVERYONE WATCH THIS!! This happened right in front of me at pride today. & please share he's a prick & shouldn't get away with it. He was smiling the whole time after he got her in cuffs."
No word yet on what happened to the cop or the victim.
(H/T: Towleroad)
A new day? Fairness? If I am suspected of a hate crime ...I go to jail while I'm investigated especially if there is footage of me punching the victim.
How is paid fucking desk work in any
way equal and fair?
Throw his ass in jail while he awaits trial like the rest of us. Let him post bail if he has it.
I am a gay man and have been yelled at by the religious jerks, but it does no good to stoop to their level and try to argue with them. It looks like the young woman let her emotions get the best of her. Didn't she threaten to throw water at the guy and kick him off his stool? I don't like what he has to say but we have to protect free speech for everyone. I think the girl may have crossed the line.
My friend, every form of freedom of speech has limitations, such as not applying to slander, obscenity, and hate speech. I think this qualifies. I don't think any society in its right mind would protect Mr from walking up to you and saying "you are an ugly Fuck who was born from a white of a mother who I fucked last night."
You see when he walks over and grabs her, so his defense of saying it was because of her hitting him first is bs. You'll notice also that he was smiling, so it's obvious he wanted to do it. We need to stop letting people in the police force that are not able to be impartial. Also have some kind of class or training to ensure they are reminded of what the whole purpose of their career is.
The officer was grabbing this girl by the hair and punching her in the stomach. I don't think it matters what she was doing, this is how a man beats a woman when he really fucking hates her, not how an officer responds to a physical threat(if there ever even was one). He should be fucking fired and sued, and the girl should sue for emotional duress.


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@the avatar: concerning the crusader - tikki tooki bug:
do you think the devs could do something. or it's better to restart a new game?
But it would be nice to write also that it doesn't work with 'dodge'
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We're thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new NativeSunJax.com website, where you'll find a fresh new layout, helpful additions, and innovative features that let you get more from your Native Sun experience.
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Bookmark the new Takeout section to stay up to date on new items and specials from the Deli, Hot Bar, Salad Bar, Gluten-free Bakery, and more.
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Ask Aaron
Your direct link to Native Sun owner Aaron Gottlieb. Ask about ingredients, products and services or anything you'd like to know, plus find out what other customers are asking about.
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Get inside information on the newest products in stock as well as those that no longer meet the health and quality standards that set us apart from other natural health food stores.
This is just the beginning of how the new NativeSunJax.com can help you live healthier and happier. We'll be talking more about the site's features in the coming days. Meanwhile, go explore and let us know what you think!


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Defense dominates offense at Wake spring game
Wake Forest's defense probably wasn't going to score in its spring game. The offense certainly couldn't.
It took until the 14th offensive possession for someone to finally score, with Chad Hedlund's 39-yard field goal giving Black a 3-0 victory over Gold on Saturday.
The Black team consisted of the full offense while the defense comprised the Gold.
The coaching staff opted not to award any points to the defense for forcing turnovers or defensive stops. That meant Gold had to return a takeaway for a touchdown to avoid being shut out.
"It was a challenge. It was either hold them to nothing or lose," nose tackle Nikita Whitlock said. "Technically, we lost, but it was fine."
The defense didn't score, and for the longest time neither could the offense.
It managed just two first downs - one of them by penalty - before the drive that was capped by Hedlund's kick, which came nearly an hour into the 70-minute scrimmage.
Black had minus-5 yards rushing - a total skewed by five sacks - and lost a fumble. The leading rusher, DeAndre Martin, finished with 10 yards on four carries and nobody had a rush longer than eight yards.
The passing game was equally sputtering, finishing 16 of 36 for 131 yards with four interceptions. Tanner Price was 9 of 16 for 82 yards.
"I think it proves what we think - we're not a pure-throw football team," coach Jim Grobe said. "If we come out and just throw the football, it's going to be really, really hard."
The offense ran a total of two plays inside the red zone, and before the long field goal drive, Gold crossed midfield only once.
That had to be a bit disconcerting to the crowd of 4,200 because Wake Forest ranked 10th or worse in the Atlantic Coast Conference in all five major team stat categories last year. The team was last in the league with an 18½-point average and a pass-efficiency rating of 110.1.
A big reason for those struggles - both Saturday and last season - was a serious lack of healthy bodies.
They were down to seven offensive linemen for this scrimmage, and among the key players sitting out were receivers Michael Campanaro, Matt James and Sherman Ragland III.
"We were definitely limited," Price said. "There was not a whole lot we could do."
The Demon Deacons kept it simple in part because they didn't want to give Boston College - its first opponent from the Bowl Subdivision - any advantage during this televised spring scrimmage.
BC will have an unfamiliar feel in Week 2 because it has a new coach, Steve Addazio. Its spring game was cancelled during the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.


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Deadline Extended: Seed Global Health is looking for Nurse/Midwife Educators (including those with expertise in mental health) to serve in Uganda, Malawi, or Zambia for one year as faculty in 2019- 2020. Information is available here.
ISPN Foundation has opened the application window for their Awards, Scholarships, and Grants. Take a look here.
Dr. Rene Love and the University of Arizona was awarded more than $1 million grant to help sexual assault victims in rural areas. View her interview here.
Dr. Rene Love, was awarded an $821,171 grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration. Click here for more information about this grant.
Kathy Kuehn, ISPN Executive Director since 2013, has notified the ISPN Board of her retirement as of December 31, 2018.
The Board welcomes Jessica Retzlaff as ISPN Executive Director as of January 1, 2019. Jess has been with The Rees Group, ISPN's management company, for several years working with volunteers of professional societies. She spearheaded ISPN's new website and has worked with the ISPN Conference Committee the past two years on the abstracts, annual conference program, and continuing education application. Read more here
ISPN joined other nursing organizations recently and signed on to three letters initiated by the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC). Here is a summary from NCC's Monthly Roundup:
Letter Urging the Passage of Title VIII this Congress
November 15, 2018
Fifty-six NCC member organizations signed onto a letter requesting the Senate pass the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act this Congress. The letter reiterates that passing Title VIII Reauthorization is the Coalition's top priority and requests that any new provision be time-limited with a study to assess its impact.
Letter to Appropriators for FY 2019
October 18, 2018
The Nursing Community Coalition sent a letter thanking appropriators for providing level funding ($249.472 million) for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and $162.992 million (a 3.16% increase) for the National Institute of Nursing Research. The Coalition remains committed to working with appropriators to see that continued, increased investments are made to support our nation's nursing workforce and research.
Thank You Letters for Opioid Legislation
October 11, 2018
Forty-seven organizations signed onto a letter thanking Congressional leaders, committees, and champions for their efforts to have Section 3201, Allowing for more flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, in the final opioid package. This important provision provides permanent authorization for nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe medication-assisted treatments (MATs), and a five-year authorization for the other three APRN roles, to help combat the opioid epidemic.
SPAM email alert: Some ISPN members have received an email with the subject line: NEW LAWS TO PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL NURSES, claiming to be from Elizabeth Bonham, a former ISPN president, and on behalf of the ISPN Board and Directors. This is SPAM: Please block this sender's email from your email account. DO NOT click on the link provided for "NEW LAW & POLICY."
Reminder to subscribe to the new ISPN Listserv, "E-List": Make sure you are logged in as this is a member benefit, and then click here to read more.


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Dunya concert to support aid for earthquake victims
Turkish tragedy stirs memories of earlier natural disaster in Pakistan
Hearing news of a devastating earthquake hitting Turkey in October of last year, Aziz Sohail'13, vice president of Project Nur, had a feeling of déjà vu.
Only a year ago, he had been actively involved with many other students in on-campus relief efforts for the floods which had struck his native Pakistan. Once again, he wanted to get involved – this time to support relief efforts being organized for Turkey.
Project Nur is a student-led initiative of the American Islamic Congress which advocates for social justice and intercultural and interreligious dialogue. Together with the president of the Brandeis arm of the project, Nusrath Yusuf'13, and other actively involved members, Sohail began organizing a concert featuring Turkish music in order to raise funds for earthquake relief efforts.
"Being able to listen to music from different places means that you are exploring that culture in a unique context," says Sohail, explaining why Project Nur chose to organize this particular event to raise funds. "Music is a common denominator for people across culture and religion; it is something anyone can connect to and enjoy."
The concert, which will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday in Solsberg Recital Hall, is the culmination of the efforts of various on and off campus, in particular the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance and the American Islamic Congress, who donated to the event. The concert will feature Dunya, a Boston-based Turkish music ensemble led by Mehmet Sanlikol, a renowned composer and ethnomusicologist who is currently a faculty member at Emerson College and Brown University. The group will be playing a wide range of music, from traditional Turkish folk songs to more contemporary pop to devotional songs. There will be a pre-concert talk by Sanlikol, and Turkish refreshments after the event.
Dr. Ann E. Lucas, ACLS New Faculty Fellow in Music at Brandeis, says that by attending this concert, students and faculty can enjoy the interesting dichotomy of East and West that makes up Turkish culture as explored by the Dunya musicians.
"Dunya encompasses a really amazing group of musicians, who very thoughtfully use the music of Turkey as a starting point for exploring music both cross-culturally and trans-historically," she explains "Turkey's cultural location between East and West, and its cosmopolitan history as the center of the Ottoman Empire, provide an interesting array of cultures in contact that Dunya brilliantly uses as a basis to extrapolate new musical ideas while also honoring a variety of traditional musical styles."
The event is co-sponsored by MusicUnitesUs, the Brandeis Music Department, and the InterCultural Center. Tickets for the event are $5 for students and $10 for regular admission, and are available through Brandeis Tickets at Shapiro Campus Center, or online at www.brandeis.edu/tickets/. All proceeds will go towards relief and rehabilitation efforts in Turkey.
Sohail urges people to take some time out of their weekend to attend.
"I really hope people will attend, it is going to be an amazing night. It's so important for us to appreciate these musicians and the work they are doing in promoting cross-cultural dialogue through the beauty of music."Dunya c
Categories: Student Life


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by efschlenk
Southern Caribbean
December 4, 2004
This review is the first of two parts of the CIRQUE DU SOLEIL inaugural cruise on Celebrity CONSTELLATION, out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 4, 2004.
This reviewer is a semi-retired frequent traveler, not in the travel industry, 58 years old, and has cruised 15 times over the last few years (7 of those on Celebrity).
In addition to details about this particular cruise, in the second part of my review (which will follow) I shall also provide a good deal of information about cruising in general, some recent changes in the Constellation and Celebrity, and extensive activity and port information for the value-conscious (read budget) cruiser (it is possible to enjoy each island thoroughly for only a few dollars). Because this is a lengthy review, I will HIGHLIGHT a topic for each section so that the reader can scroll to areas of personal interest and skip those areas of less interest.
The BOTTOM LINE is that this is a wonderful cruise on a great ship which offers premium everything (food, service, entertainment, public areas, etc.) at an incredibly reasonable price. I will give more details about pricing and how best to obtain good values when cruising in the second part of this review. We paid about $560 US per person for two, including port charges and taxes for an outside stateroom. Considering the quality of the cruise, I doubt there is a better value in the entire cruise industry at the moment.
Of the three Caribbean cruise ITINERARIES (Eastern, Western, and Southern), my wife and I prefer the Southern because the islands are smaller and more congenial, and the shore-side experience seems more authentically "Caribbean". There now seems to be so much off-shore banking and other dealings by financial bigwigs (read hedge funds and tax avoiders) and real estate developers on the Eastern and Western Caribbean islands that sometimes the heart and soul of those islands is hidden behind the international shops, the condos, and the casinos.
Our itinerary changed a bit between the time we reserved and sailed, due to storm damage on some of the islands. No problem -- all of the islands here are enjoyable and each seems to have its own special flavor. The one drawback to a Southern itinerary is the cost of AIR FARE to San Juan, PR, which is the departure port. For those of us in the midwestern and western US, week-end airfare to SJU is easily $600 US and up, which is more than some outside and inside cabins cost for the entire cruise (including port charges).
For the budget traveler, I suggest enrolling in an air fare search engine such as Travelocity (there are several other good ones, but I like Travelocity's option of e-mail notification when fares decrease). One can buy air tickets at the best current price when booking the cruise, and then contact the airline for an AIR FARE REBATE (usually in the form of an MCO or credit coupon) when the air fare drops by $50 US or more. Some airlines charge $25 for this credit service, some don't, but in each case you will have to ask for it, it is not automatic. Our air fare started at $630, we bought at $550, and got a rebate at $460.
This SHIP LEAVES San Juan at 2300, so that even late-arriving passengers should be able to reach the ship in time. If one prefers, one can always go a day early and spend a night in San Juan. Hotel prices there are a bit high, but the old town provides an enjoyable day of pre-cruise sightseeing.
Also, Celebrity is reportedly very generous to those passengers with EARLY MORNING RETURN FLIGHTS (the ship docks at 0700 and our return flight departs at 0955). If you show your early morning return air tickets to the guest relations desk, they are supposed to give you priority in disembarking (we shall see, I am writing this portion of my review onboard the ship).
Deciding WHAT TO PACK seems to be a problem for most cruisers (quite a few of our new friends on board this cruise reported paying the stiff overweight baggage fees airlines now charge). My wife and I travel with only one carry-on (regulation airline size of 21x13x8 inches) each and we have a great time whether we are spending a few weeks on land or on sea. The secret is that your fellow cruisers are so interested in what they look like, they pay little attention to what you look like.
MICROFIBER suits and sports clothes now provide as much style and convenience as any cruiser could want. My wife and I each pack two outfits in addition to the one we wear on our flights. I have a black suit, a sport jacket with dress slacks, a polo shirt and a dress shirt, a pair of nylon pants for adventuring ashore, plus three sets of underwear, a Gore-tex type rain jacket (rarely needed), a swimsuit or two, one pair of black shoes and one pair of Teva type sandals, a sun hat, and a hanging wash kit (the hanging style is great for small cruise ship bathrooms).
My wife carries parallel items. For evening wear she may take a long black dress, but more often takes tuxedo style cocktail slacks with a silk or sequined jacket, a designer jacket for informal wear, and a black sweater and silk type blouse for casual wear. For shore adventures she takes a pair of nylon pants, a pair of shorts, and a bathing suit. She takes one pair of black heels, one pair of joggers, and one pair of Teva type sandals.
We both carry our own snorkels and masks, lycra bodysuits (for sun protection while snorkeling and swimming) and a day pack to hold all of our beach and pool items. I carry my money and documents in a fanny pack (and a money belt for shore excursions) and she uses a small leather shoulder bag which doubles as a purse while onboard.
Mirabile dictu, we do just fine and sometimes even find we have not worn all of the clothes we brought along. The secret is to do a bit of LAUNDRY every day or two. Celebrity is one of those cruise lines which do not have self-service laundry rooms on its ships. We simply hand wash items in our cabin sink, wring and rap them in those great fluffy cruise towels, and hang them to dry overnight on plastic hangers which we use in packing anyway. The clean microfiber or nylon or poly/cotton blend clothes we pack are always ready to wear the next morning, if needed.
When ARRIVING AT SJU, or any cruise port, we generally take a taxi to the cruise ship. The cruise lines all have representatives greeting incoming passengers, and we always confirm with them which pier the ship is at so that we can tell our driver. That is the advantage of traveling light - we do not even have to wait for baggage claim. If you prefer, you can book transfers from the cruise line.
On this cruise, the ship was docked at the PAN AMERICAN PIER, which is located about half way between the SJU airport and the old town. SJU airport taxis are rate-controlled by a dispatcher. Make certain you visit the dispatcher's curbside booth before getting into any taxi. The dispatcher will give you a multi-copy voucher listing the destination and the price of cab fare, which you then pay the driver on arrival (plus tip of course). In this case the pier was about $17 fare and $3 tip for the two of us and our two bags. You keep a copy of the voucher, which lists the cab's license number in case there are any problems or you forget something in the cab.
AT THE PIER, a pleasant surprise is the discount LIQUOR STORE which you can visit after checking in but before boarding. They offered wine at two bottles for $8 US (we got one delicious Chilean Chardonnay and one awful French Sauvignon blanc - it is caveat emptor so choose what you know, if possible). We also got Freixenet brut at $6 US per bottle. The wine can be drunk in your cabin or (for a corkage fee of about $15 US) in the ship's restaurants. Hard liquor is also available pier-side, but this is more difficult to carry on board unless one has only a very small quantity and is very discreet. Soft drinks are also available at the store, but the cruise line has an unlimited soft drink option for about $5 US per day, which is great for kids or anyone who drinks more than 4 sodas per day. I give kudos to Celebrity and RCCL for providing this great pre-boarding service. I suggest you not abuse it, or it may disappear.
Once on board, my wife and I have FAVORITE LOCATIONS AND DINING VENUES, and I will explore these with you in the second part of this review. Instead, I will close this part of my review with information about Celebrity's well-advertised new entertainment product.
For those who know the Constellation, the big news on this cruise was that Celebrity launched its new association with the Canadian-based CIRQUE DU SOLEIL entertainment group, well-known to Americans for its thrilling combination of acrobatics and new-age artistry seen in traveling venues across the US and in a permanent home in Las Vegas.
For several years, cruise lines have branded their cuisine with the names of famous chefs (Michel Roux, Jacques Pepin, et al.). Celebrity is the first, to my knowledge, to brand part of its onboard activities with a famous entertainment group. The idea is brilliant, but the execution is still in flux (more about that shortly).
After great expense and much effort, the 11-deck forward lounge on the Constellation has been converted to the "BAR AT THE END OF THE EARTH". Rather than presenting its usual acrobatic acts, Cirque du Soleil (CdS) emphasizes that this is an "experience" rather than a "performance", and they add that it is an experience in evolution. We attended three times (well, two and a quarter to be honest) while on the cruise, and noticed it was smoother and more refined each time, but still seemed a bit cerebral, lacking a story line or anything one could really relate to or empathize with.
THE LOUNGE has been draped in white muslin and theatrical scrims so that laser light shows can be reflected off of almost all surfaces. The bar has been retained, but now has something of an "arctic white" appearance. The perimeter seating has been replaced by curtained platforms with cushions (which may be a problem in Alaska or Norway, where these seats are prime nature-viewing locations). The remaining seating has been draped with white linen covers. The stage and dance area have also been curtained with moveable scrims that show projected images relating to the "characters" which appear and disappear over the course of an evening. We were told by another passenger that the investment in décor alone was more than $1 million US.
The lounge features several imaginary (symbolic?) CHARACTERS, each with an elaborate and ingeniously lit costume (one looks like a sea anemone, one a mushroom, one an intestinal parasite, one.. well, you get the picture). Each appears from behind the scrim, dancing and relating to the images on the scrim and the synchronous new-age music. The characters are not recognizable (to me at least) as anything from literature, history, or even the natural world. There is no real narrative associated with any of the characters - again, this is an "atmosphere" or "happening" and not a story or performance in the usual sense. The effect is something like a friendly space bar in the early the Star Wars movies.
This still is a bar, and drinks are served by an agile and (of course) gracious Celebrity staff dressed in Ewok-style hooded brown costumes. As usual, smoking is allowed on the port side (including the bar area), so you may wish to choose your seating accordingly. The music is very loud (as on all cruise ship venues, not just Celebrity's, but more about dealing with that later).
The first night of the cruise, the BAR AT THE EDGE OF THE EARTH was open only to the cruise line representatives for the launch. The second night there was a free preview for Captains Club cruisers, and the following nights there were "masquerade parties" at which those purchasing tickets ($30 per person, mask included, bookable in advance by your travel agent) were requested to wear white and were provided with masks (left in your stateroom or selected at the new CdS shop onboard). Most cruisers were elegantly clad in white, bit one iconoclastic cruiser wore his bathrobe - the essence of "thinking outside the box" when good manners generally preclude wearing one's bathrobe outside the stateroom.
I believe that in the future the CdS lounge experience will be free. Each visit we made was essentially the same format, so attending a masked (ticketed) showing is not necessary.
What was the RECEPTION OF THE WHOLE CdS VENTURE by the cruisers? Well, there was surprisingly little discussion of it (no buzz) by our fellow cruisers after the event (except for one elite-category Captain's Club lady who wanted her money back because she bought a ticket and was also given a masquerade ticket free). At the end of the cruise, all masquerade tickets were refunded.
MY IMPRESSION is that CdS is best known and loved for its acrobatics, and its "atmospherics" when viewed alone are too artsy-fartsy for most Americans, many of whom unfortunately have been "Disneyfied" into homogeneity.
I think Celebrity was a generous host and investor in the project, which is brilliant in concept, but I think that CdS fell short in the product it has provided so far. I say "so far" because I think that the product can be rescued by doing some re-programming. I think most audiences want something they can relate to - preferably a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. In this case, real inspiration might be found in the delightful and awe-inspiring lectures of the ship's oceanographic lecturer who demonstrated that nothing exceeds the beauty and ingenuity of the natural world. Why not base the CdS experience on creatures of the sea? It does not have to be dumbed down to a Little Mermaid or Sponge Bob Squarepants, but should have something an audience can relate too.
Perhaps it did not help that the CdS "family" on board this cruise was quite large, and although friendly, they seemed to be a bit self-indulgent both on and off stage. Ironically, the one awesome CdS experience was provided by their sole female gymnast/acrobat/adagio dancer who gave a short performance with recognizable CdS style a few times during the cruise.
(Part two, including cruise and shore details, follows)
This review is the second installment of two about the Celebrity CONSTELLATION, Southern Caribbean itinerary, Dec. 4-11, 2004. The first part covered pre-cruise planning, embarkation, and the premier showing of Celebrity's new Cirque du Soleil experience. This part covers the ship itself, onboard activities and entertainment, Celebrity's Captain's Club, a BUDGET GUIDE TO SHORE EXCURSIONS, and disembarkation in San Juan. As before, major topics are HIGHLIGHTED to assist in topic searches.
The exterior colors of the Constellation have been changed, making the Celebrity fleet more uniform in exterior appearance. The previous blue hull and gold swath of Millennium class ships, which I liked, is now a white hull with a wide blue swath like the previous Century class ships. If you fly into San Juan on the day of departure, you may see the ship docked at the Pan American pier (near the Isla Grande private airport) from the left side airplane windows just before landing at the main SJU airport.
Much has already been written about the Constellation's cabins and public areas, so I will keep further descriptions to a minimum.
In general, the PUBLIC AREAS are stylish in an elegant, post-modernist sort of way. I think they are among the handsomest in the cruise industry. There is very little of the Las Vegas style over-the-top glitz here (with the exception of the casino, of course). Think international boutique hotel atmosphere instead. Some carpeting and décor have been updated since the ship was built four years ago, so it still looks new and is very well maintained.
The ship's own ART COLLECTION is interesting and even edgy, far better than the art being sold in its onboard art auctions (which appeal to shoppers who prefer decorative art). It is worth some free time while onboard just to explore the collection throughout the ship - they have major works by Botero and Chihuly to name just two pleasant surprises.
As I extensively described in the first part of this review, the Reflections lounge on 11 deck forward has been redecorated as the Cirque du Soleil "Bar at the Edge of the Earth" experience. The 10 deck forward GYM equipment seems new, or at least in better shape than I recall it from previous cruises. We have never used the SPA services, which are reported to be good but which we find very expensive (it is easy to spend a few hundred dollars US in a day there). The MUSIC LISTENING ROOM "Notes" has been replaced by an ACUPUNCTURE venue. The THEATER is unchanged, with great sightlines but over-amplified sound as usual (more about dealing with the ship-wide entertainment decibel problem later). The dining areas, grand foyer, shops, photo gallery, library, and alternate dining (Oceans Restaurant) also seem unchanged. There is still NO SELF-SERVICE LAUNDERETTE on Celebrity ships, so bring microfiber or other easy care clothing. The photographers are polite and very capable. Our shipmates seemed to be happy with the formal portraits taken, in spite of the high prices typical of most cruise line photographers. The INTERNET venue has speedy links but relatively high prices (75 US cents per minute for internet use, but one can write WORD documents off-line, then copy and paste them into your e-mail messages while logged on the net -- the excellent internet staff will show you how, or you can send and receive simple e-mails at a fixed rate). There are also good WORKSHOPS on internet use and digital photography skills, some free and others for a fee.
As on all Millennium class ships, the CABINS are efficient in size, with extensive mirrors adding to a sense of spaciousness. Balconies are available with a large percentage of the cabins. Closets and storage space are more than adequate (remember there is a good amount of room under the bed for suitcases and miscellany). The bathrooms are small, and the regular showers are especially narrow (my shoulders touch the wall and the curtain when showering, but upper grade cabins have tubs and wider showers). Whether one wants an inside, outside, balcony, or suite is a matter of taste and budget. In general, prices are so reasonable on this itinerary (especially in the pre-Christmas low season) that this is one cruise where one can usually afford a better cabin category, if that is important to you. Port and starboard cabin locations are immaterial on this itinerary since sights and docking vary from port to port. Be aware that the new room safes re-program with each closure. At each closure, one enters ones personal 4 digit code followed by the # key. If you slip and enter a "wrong" number without watching the screen, you might not be able to open the safe again without help. The room mini-bar is convenient, but watch those prices.
The CRUISERS on this itinerary were mostly late middle-aged, with only a few younger families with children since school was still in session. We met more Latin and African Americans and more Europeans on this cruise than we had on any previous Caribbean cruise, which suggests that Celebrity is wisely broadening its market appeal.
The SHIP'S STAFF tends to be East European in the dining and bar areas, and Asian in the cabin areas. All speak English and all are extremely well trained - they certainly treated us "famously", as the advertising promises. It is ironic that each staff member we spoke with was as interesting as any of the cruisers we met. The staff members were working rather than vacationing on board largely by the circumstance of being born in a developing part of the world -- if born in America, they would probably be professionals in a variety of fields.
SECURITY onboard has improved in subtle ways. You might not notice it, but there is a guard watching the pool area from the deck above during much of the day. A few ports actually did verify our photo id at the pier (we carry a Xerox of the photo page of our passports - we never take our passports ashore). I hope in addition that there are security cameras in the public areas. My wife was robbed while alone on deck during a previous cruise, and the newly upgraded security is more than welcome.
The CUISINE on Celebrity's ships, in addition to the service, is what has made their reputation and set them a notch ahead of the competition. Dinner in the main dining room is wonderful entertainment in itself. The choices for each course are inspired, and the preparation and presentation provide the highlight of each cruise day. To be honest, the main buffet line is standard for the industry, but the specialty buffets at each meal can be delightful - custom omelets and Belgian waffles; specialty salads; good carvery meats including the honey-baked ham; glorious breads and rolls including sticky buns, panettone, light-as-air-bagels (an oxymoron but true); homemade ice cream; Aqua Spa lean cuisine; sushi; orgasmically wonderful patisserie desserts; etc., etc.
To AVOID GAINING WEIGHT, we usually have a light buffet breakfast (usually fruit and an egg-alternative omelet), a sweet roll and ship's tap water while adventuring on shore, a late Aqua Spa lunch, a pre-dinner snack (a slice of pizza or sushi), and a full late dinner in the main dining room. The latter is healthful because portions are controlled and one can have something at each course without feeling full. We have never tried the surcharged ($30 US) alternative restaurant, since the main dining room has been so enjoyable on all of our cruises.
Everyone has FAVORITE VENUES AND ACTIVITIES onboard, and on the Constellation my wife and I particularly enjoy:
---The AQUA SPA HEALTHFUL BUFFET, which is hidden behind the sculpture in the spa pool (remember, the best lean cuisine is behind the fat lady) and is open throughout most of the day. This is a great alternative to the bulk food sometimes found in shipboard buffets. It is also the place where you can find papaya and lime wedges for breakfast (which is my favorite part of any tropical vacation -- I live on papaya in Tahiti).
---The LIBRARY is small but has an enjoyable collection for those who just want to relax with a book. It has a few books in several languages (Spanish, German, French) Celebrity deserves credit adding the services of a very pleasant librarian (Patrick) rather than a rotating (uninformed) library staff.
---MICHAELS CLUB looks like a gentlemen's smoking club, but fortunately the main part of it is smoke-free and features Perry, a very talented vocalist with an excellent voice, perfect pitch, a knowledge of almost every lyric and melody ever written, a campy delivery, and a wicked sense of humor. We are not drinkers, but we spent part of every evening here.
---AFTERNOON SNACKS IN THE 10-DECK BUFFET AREA to cover the gap between lunch and late-seating (8:30pm) dinner, from exquisite pastries or homemade ice creams at tea time, to pizza or sushi a little later.
---ENRICHMENT LECTURES by educators/naturalists in the ship's cinema/lecture area. We enjoyed the oceanographer's several lectures about sea-life and life at sea. Most cruise lines underestimate their cruisers' intelligence (or maybe not) by providing more lectures about shopping than anything reasonably enriching. I give credit to Celebrity for exceeding our expectations once again.
---WATCHING CRUISERS POSE FOR THEIR PHOTO PORTRAITS on formal nights is one of our favorite pre-dinner activities. Simply take a seat near one of the photo shoots and watch your fellow cruisers look their best. Then return to the photo gallery the next day and view the results.
---CAPTAINS CLUB AMENITIES were exceptional on this cruise, perhaps because it was a club reunion cruise or because it was the Cirque de Soleil launch with all the VIPs from the cruise line's headquarters in attendance. In addition to the usual chocolate on the pillow, as "SELECT LEVEL" club members (five to nine previous Celebrity cruises), we received a complimentary bottle of private label wine in an elegant travel carrier, CdS T-shirts and masks, a travel document organizer, a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries and marzipan roses at one bedtime, an internet fee credit, and invitations to complementary wine tastings, behind the scenes tours, several complementary cocktail parties, a complementary champagne breakfast buffet, etc., etc.
It certainly is worth joining Celebrity's CAPTAIN'S CLUB, since every repeat cruiser/club member will get some extra treats. Membership is free, I believe, (there was a small fee years ago when we joined) and one gets credit for each cruise, regardless of cruise length or cabin category.
ENTERTAINMENT onboard this cruise was the best we have experienced. They really assembled the A-team, including a vocalist from London's West End, an illusionist, an impressionist/comedian/singer, a comedian, a dance/acrobatic duo, and excellent musicians in the ship's orchestra and lounges, including a string quartet, a guitarist, a harpist, and a pianist/singer. The cruise director, Eric Bohus, did a fine job in organizing all the entertainment, and we were delighted that he scheduled some of the performers before dinner for second seating guests. My only complaint was that virtually every venue (from pool to lounges to theater to gym) was over-amplified to the point of auditory pain. As a result, I carry EARPLUGS everywhere while on board, and find that using them brings it all down to a reasonable mezzo forte (and they are great on buses and planes, to eliminate travel fatigue).
Before I outline our favorite inexpensive shore activities, I will give just a little information about DISEMBARKATION. This is very well organized, with none of the overhead paging and uncertainty that were prevalent in years past. One is given the usual color-coded luggage tags, leaves suitcases in the hall the last night of the cruise, and is told a time and a location to assemble in the morning with your disembarkation group. Those with early return flights (up to 10am that morning) can show the guest relations desk the tickets, and they will give you "group 1" priority disembarkation tags for luggage and carry-ons. This group assembles at 0715 and disembarks at 0730, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Since we had no luggage other than our airline carry-ons (one each), and since we CHECKED-IN for our flight the day before over the internet (if you do not know how, learn this before you travel next time -- it allows you to go directly to security screening at the airport if you have no bags to check), we were off the ship at 0730, through pier-side customs at 0735, at the airport via taxi by 0755, and through security and at the gate at 0805. Granted, our travel style is not for everyone, but we like the flexibility and speed of traveling light - the airport was quiet that early, before the masses of cruisers had arrived. For others, I would say that a 1000 flight is reasonable, but much earlier than that may be risky.
Now for the whole reason to cruise the Caribbean - the PORTS OF CALL:
We have found that our enjoyment of each island bears no relation to how much we spend on our activities ashore. In fact, LOW-COST INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES ASHORE are often the most enjoyable. What follows are our favorites for the various islands on this itinerary. By the time you cruise, the itinerary will have changed (see the internet or your travel agent for the latest updates, I believe Granada will return to the itinerary in 2005 and St. Kitts in 2006), but the principles we use will still be applicable.
Our first recommendation is to buy or borrow a good TRAVEL GUIDE, such as the Lonely Planet series, covering the islands you will visit. Xerox the relevant pages and especially the MAPS, so that you can take them ashore in sections - leave the book at home. Also, ask the concierge for recommendations if you are uncertain - some cruise lines have no clue about public transport, ferry schedules, or secluded beaches, but Kevin on our cruise was well informed.
CASA DE CAMPO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC -- this port was problematic in that the ship leaves San Juan late Saturday night (for late-arriving passengers), so one has only an afternoon ashore here. The cruise line provides a free shuttle (about 30 minutes each way) from the dock to Altos de Chavon (a Disney-esque artists colony on a scenic hill above the river) and the Marina (where the few very rich locals keep their yachts and vacation homes). These destinations provide pleasant walks but not much excitement. Ironically, there is no good beach at this port (although we had a brief but pleasant swim at the nearby Militas beach hotel complex). The best local beach is at nearby Catalina Island, which some cruise lines use as their port of call but Celebrity uses as a separate shore excursion. The Dominicans have made every effort to welcome cruisers, and the efficient new dock and shuttle service are impressive.
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS - the ship docks at the port about a mile west of town. There is a free shuttle through the port area to the terminal building, and a share taxi from there into the town center costs $1 US. Instead, we recommend walking straight ahead from the terminal for 15 minutes (about half-way into town) to the Cheapside bus terminal, where you will find cheap local buses that run along the coast. Look for the dozen or so 20 passenger yellow buses in an area across from the fish market. The east coast (Atlantic) beaches are very rough and the west coast (Caribbean) beaches are recommended. Our idea of a perfect beach is a wide strip of white sand with good shade, few people, and no wave-runners. For $1 per person, we took the Speightstown bus up the west coast and got off at Mullins beach, which is a little less than an hour's ride (ask the conductor to show you the stop and the beach access). This is a strip of clean sand with very few people, good swimming, and a restaurant and chair rental nearby for those who need it. It is quite secure, and you can leave your beach bag with anyone (or the chair rental lady) if you want to beach walk or swim for any length of time. Unfortunately in Barbados the landowners are allowed to encroach too close to the surf line. One can walk for miles north or south, but one has to use occasional high tide walkways around some intrusive walled properties. Snorkeling is not very good at this sandy beach, but if you are there around noon, you are in for a treat. About 15 minutes walk north you may see a collection of excursion boats about 500 feet offshore. They are feeding giant sea turtles for the delight of their passengers. If you are a strong swimmer (and preferably have a PFD), you can swim out (straight off the concrete pier beach area) and join them. I was there just as the boats left. The turtles swam back and forth within touching range - their carapaces were easily 5 hand spans long (almost four feet). It was dream-like, the same feeling I had when swimming with dolphins, whales, and manatees - truly a privilege of a nature. For weaker swimmers, one can hire a small boat from shore (for about $20 I believe - some people offered that alternative as I walked to the pier). The bus back to the boat is convenient since bus stops are well marked and near the beaches.
ROSEAU, DOMINICA - This was a substitution for the advertised Grenada, which the ship bypassed because of recent storm damage. Dominica is an eco-island (with no great beaches) known for its forests, waterfalls, and hiking trails. Unfortunately, public transport into the hills is not readily available when a ship is in port. The usual shared minivans turn into taxis and the rates climb to 10 times the usual fare (still reasonable for most cruisers). Instead, we walk about two blocks inland from the dock and catch a minivan south along the coast for 30 minutes ($1 US each way) to Scotts Head, a fishing village with a spit of land and a mini Rock of Gibraltar offshore (which you see as you approach the island from the south). The beach at the base of the rock is narrow and cobbled, but offers very pleasant swimming and excellent snorkeling. Simply snorkel northwards along the shoreline below the rock and you will find a fine coral-festooned wall that descends about 200 feet into the blue depths. The fish here are small - even though it is a protected area, the fishing village is too close to allow fish to grow large. This is an unsecured beach, and you would do well to leave your beach bag with someone (if you can find anyone else there). My wife takes a swim and brief snorkel, and then relaxes on shore with our gear as I snorkel for an hour or two longer. After snorkeling, it is an easy walk up a jeep trail then a well-worn path to the top of the rock, where you will have beautiful views of the village and shoreline all the way back to the ship. Minivans leave the village reasonably often and the return to the ship is no problem.
ST. JOHNS, ANTIGUA - There are two bus stations here within easy walking distance of the dock, which is downtown (there also is a secondary dock a bit farther out). Ask in town for directions to the bus terminal you want. Eastside buses go across the island to historic Nelsons Dockyard, which we did not visit this time, but which has a nice secluded beach within easy walking distance (I think the name is Pigeon Point, but ask at Nelsons for the nearest beach). We arrived on a local holiday when eastside buses were infrequent, so we took a westside bus for 20 minutes ($1 US) south to Jolly beach, which is a broad travel-poster-beautiful beach lined by attractive low-rise hotels, restaurants, and dive shops. The bus drops one just outside the resorts (this is the transport for the resort workers) and one simply has to ask directions for the public beach access. One walks through several checkpoints, the beach is so secure. There were a few wave-runners, but very few people and the water is that wonderful Caribbean blue over the white sand bottom. Snorkeling is not good at the beach, but the nearby dive shops offer snorkel tours in the early afternoon for about $10-20 US depending on how much of their equipment you need. (I did not take a boat snorkel and cannot specifically recommend it). Again, return minivans to the ship are frequent.
ST. THOMAS, USVI - This is heaven for shoppers and tourist-junk-hell for almost everyone else, although there are some nice secure beaches like Magens Bay for about $8 US taxi fare and about $3 US entry fee. If you dock in the Crown Point yacht basin instead of the usual Havensight area, consider taking a water taxi from nearby Tickles restaurant (walking distance from the ship) to Water Island. This is a local hideaway with a very quiet beach just over the island crest. The ship's concierge can give the ferry schedule. It is the antithesis of the rest of St. Thomas and is kept a quiet secret by the locals. On this cruise we took a taxi ($8 US per person tip included) and then the ferry ($3 US) from Red Hook (alternately $7 US from downtown Charlotte) to neighboring Cruz Bay, St. Johns (again, the ship's concierge can give you the ferry schedules). We have been to St. Thomas and/or St. John's almost a dozen times, and the less-developed St. Johns is infinitely more pleasant in our opinion. I think that future cruise itineraries may even spend a day at each island. In any case, watch the ferry schedule closely since you need to allow time to return to the ship. The north shore beaches on St. Johns (Hawksbill, Trunk, Cinnamon) are run by the US National Park Service and are world famous. Open air taxis will take you from the Cruz Bay ferry dock to any of these for about $4 US, or you can hike from the park headquarters building to Honeymoon beach - the rangers can give you maps and specifics. Each north shore beach has good snorkeling around the peninsulas which separate them, and some have their own snorkel trails with underwater signage (but more people). The fish are protected here and are larger and more colorful than on some other islands - with luck you might even see a Hawksbill turtle or spotted moray, both of which I saw this time.
Finally, a word about CRUISE FARES - rumor has it that RCCL/Celebrity will institute a uniform pricing policy which disallows the rebates which some cruise agents offer their clients. I do not know how this will play out, but I hope it does not backfire -- other fine cruise lines like Holland offer a very competitive product and will increase market share if their prices are much lower than Celebrity's. In any case, I recommend surfing the internet to find the itinerary, ship, and price you want. Websites like www.cruise.com or www.icruise.com are good places to start. The former seems to cover a wider array of cruise lines and the latter seems to have more detailed (by cabin category) pricing information. After you know what the price should be (and, again, the pre-Christmas season is a great time for bargains), check with your personal agent since the agencies sometimes purchase blocks of cabins to be sold by a certain date at even lower rates. Some of these agencies (and unaffiliated groups like www.cruisemates.com) have e-mail newsletters to alert you to cruise bargains. On this cruise I used Pavlus Travel's website/cruise link and booked the cruise directly on the net, down to the cabin choice) at an even further discount. You can give your credit card number over the phone if you like. Later, when we received a promotional coupon through Celebrity's Captain's Club, I simply called Pavlus and they added that credit to our final bill, which was about $560 US per person for a category 7 outside cabin (no balcony but a large window), including port charges and taxes.
What other vacation could give you so much at such a reasonable cost! But do not forget to budget for tips of about $10-15 US per passenger per day for the wonderful staff. Celebrity now offers a fixed tipping option by which one simply puts the tips on one's shipboard account. I prefer to tip personally, since I tend to be more generous than the usual guidelines (which are left in your cabin with the envelopes for tips). After all, the great staff is what makes the cruise so enjoyable. I am always angered when cruisers spend money on all sorts of tourist junk and expensive shore excursions only to short-change the people who really matter. Instead, please put your discretionary spending in the hands of those who deserve it, and don't just give them an envelope with money, write each a personal note about what you specifically enjoyed about their service. If they had been born in America, they might have been your own kids.
Last but not least, have a wonderful cruise!


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text: Subject: Time: 2:08 PM OFFICE MEMO NAASC NEWS Date: 2/22/95 I am writing on behalf of the NAASC with the following news: Joanne Chory (Salk Institute) and David Meinke (OSU) have agreed to act as co-chairs of the NAASC. We are replacing Fred Ausubel who was chair of NAASC during 1994. Rob Last (Boyce Thompson Inst) has agreed to act as the North American representative to the Multinational Steering Committee. The committee has decided that from now on the two most "senior" NAASC members will act as co-chairs. Thus, next year's co-chairs will be Mark Estelle and Gloria Coruzzi, with Rob Last and Pam Green slated for 1997. The current committee is now acting (with Rick Amasino) as the program committee for the meeting in Madison in June. If you have any questions concerning the meeting, please contact one of us. Also, if you have any community issues that you would like to be addressed in the future, please feel free to contact a member of NAASC at any time. Joanne Chory for the NAASC (Dave Meinke, Gloria Coruzzi, Mark Estelle, Pam Green and Rob Last).


text: World 26 September 2012 Why the Louvre's new Islamic art wing won't "bridge the divide" Pledges to forge an understanding between the West and Islam feel shallow. Sign UpGet the New Statesman's Morning Call email. Sign-up This week the Louvre Museum in Paris opened up a new wing devoted to Islamic art. The structure, which cost a reported £80 million and took a decade to build, is fitted with a wave-like, gold tinted rooftop which has been likened both to a flying carpet and sand dunes in the desert. It has been granted a privileged position in the Louvre's central courtyard alongside I M Pei's glass pyramid, and will house the largest collection of Islamic art in Europe – a rotating selection from the Louvre's 18,000 strong Islamic archive. It's all very exciting, but what, exactly, are the implication of this grand new home for the cream of the Islamic cultural crop? The new space is being billed as a symbol of tolerance in the face of growing unrest and misunderstanding between the west and the Islamic World. Sophie Makariou, director of the Louvre's Islamic Art Department, said in an interview with the BBC: "We need to state that there is a distance between what the Islamic civilization was, its contribution to world history, and what is happening now." She went on to call the exhibition space a chance to "give Islam back its glory". French president François Holland, who inaugurated the wing on Tuesday, called it a significant project at a significant time. And it's not just those in camp west who see the endeavour in these terms. The gallery's largest single donor – Prince Waleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia – made this statement: "After 9/11 all Arabs and Muslims have the duty and the responsibility to tell the west about real Muslims, about real Islam, and how peaceful our religion is." Substantial donations have also poured in from individuals in Abu Dabi, Kuwait, Oman, not to mention the Moroccan Royal Family and the president of Azerbaijan. An international project with ambitious intentions, no doubt. France has a long history of secularism, which has of late been invoked justification for cracking down on the country's four million strong Muslim population. The 2004 ban of headscarves in public schools sparked protests, followed by further controversy over last year's outlaw of the niqab in public spaces. In 2010, the mayor of the northern city of Roubaix initiated a row over whether the sale of halal meat in fast food burger chains let religion in where it didn't belong. Then there's the recent unrest over satirical cartoons in the weekly Charlie Hebdo, and the banning of anti-Innocence of Muslims protests by the interior minister Manuel Valls. In a sense, the museum's message is a harmless one – a politely reassuring statement of cultural collaboration. But in another sense it amounts to a failure to acknowlege the modern Muslim condition - an implication that only in the past did Islamic culture aspire to beauty, integrity, intelligence and refinement. The Louvre has borne the standard for western high art since the French Revolution. Art from Islamic antiquity (the new wing will house work from the 7th to the 19th century), with its fondness for calligraphy, narrative painting and lush decorative textiles, ceramics and ornaments, conforms perfectly well to the aesthetic criteria of western art from the same periods. In previous centuries, eastern and western sensibilities were very much in tune. It's the world today that the French seem to feel uneasy with – hence the appeal to an idealised past. Ancient art is beautiful and important, no doubt. But for many young people today – those at the heart of the east/west debate - it remains inaccessible and elitist. The French youth might call the Mona Lisa an invaluable artefact, yes – but provocative? Topical? A catalyst for conversation? Hardly. Should we then expect Moghul mosaics to speak for the modern Muslim? It's comforting to imagine that misunderstandings and intolerance on both sides could be placated by a round of applause for what came before. But if all we can celebrate about Islam is its past, then we are ignoring the equally beautiful aspects of its present. The Louvre's new wing is a worthy home for a collection worth celebrating. But it is but a small bridge over a chasm that continues to widen. An honest celebration of contemporary Islamic art and culture is still needed and major art institutions like the Louvre should be doing their bit. › Scottish Labour's support for cuts plays into the SNP's hands The Louvre's newly opened Islamic art wing. (Photograph: Louvre Museum) Charlotte Simmonds is a writer and blogger living in London. She was formerly an editorial assistant at the New Statesman. You can follow her on Twitter @thesmallgalleon. Subscribe from just $2 per issue


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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
More Penrose
The rule is, everyone who visits Penrose must take a photo of the little white house where I spent five years of my boyhood, and others spent much longer. My room was on the right near corner, with two windows.
The Penrose Shoshone River Bridge. Can you imagine how the torrent of water narrows to pass under this undistinguished bridge? Used to be, you felt you were home when you saw the old railroad bridges across the river as the privileged entrance into Penrose. Now, no feeling at all.
4 comments:
- Elizabeth said...
When the old railroad bridge was replaced with the present unremarkable one, all of the Penrose'ites' were predicting that it would surely wash out with the first big rain. That was more than 40 years ago.
- July 1, 2009 at 9:45 AM
- Judy said...
Still miss it.
- July 1, 2009 at 3:19 PM
- Ann said...
And in the little house, the little window was my very own bedroom until it was determined a bathroom would be a nice addition.
I don't miss the experience of walking across the river bridge on the joists when they replaced the bridge floor, but we still had to go to school so we walked the 2 x 6's/4 x 6's (or whatever they were). But I do miss the signal the bridge always was that we were almost home.
- July 3, 2009 at 1:40 PM
- Dwight said...
I remember, I remember the house where I was born, the little window where the sun came creeping in at morn (author unknown) but a rhyme that has stayed with me lo these many years/ It never came a bit too soon or made too long a day but now I often wish it had taken my breath away, or approximately
- July 8, 2009 at 9:47 PM


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Amagama is no more
Dear Amagama user
After much consideration and consultation, we decided to close Amagama. The platform had very few active users, and we did not believe that it would be worthwhile trying to save it from its technical problems.
Amagama's biggest challenge was spam blogs. These spam blogs - or "splogs" - created thousands of accounts and put too much pressure on the system to keep it running efficiently. (And sometimes impossible to keep it running at all.) As a result, Amagama suffered from poor performance over its lifespan, which made it unattractive to users.
On a personal note, I am truly sorry that we have had to take this difficult decision. Amagama has a long history in the South African blogisphere, and this closure marks the end of that history.
Amagama closed on Wednesday, 20 May 2009.
Kind regards
Jason Norwood-Young
Technical Manager
M&G Online


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While we were browsing through the infinite feed of Twitter updates this morning, we sighted some very special Computex 2010 updates from our friend Jacob Freeman, Product Manager and Professional Enthusiast at EVGA. Although very brief in context, he revealed some upcoming product refreshes for the EVGA X58 SLI and EVGA X58 SLI Classified lineups as well as an upcoming full-tower chassis with an embedded EVGA Control Panel (ECP) on the front panel.
Last Monday, the company decided to optimize its Intel X58/ICH10R chipset combination by introducing a product refresh named the EVGA X58 FTW3. Today, Jacob has hinted at two new motherboards to join the new X58 "3" Series family with the names EVGA X58 SLI3 and EVGA X58 Classified3.
The X58 SLI3 motherboard is essentially identical to the EVGA X58 SLI released in November 2008, including the same analog PWM layout, with the addition of two USB 3.0 ports and two SATA 6Gbps ports. However, the heatsink layout has been modified to a passive chipset cooling design which should be welcomed by prospective consumers.
In addition, the X58 Classified3 is nearly identical to the EVGA X58 Classified E760 released in May 2009 with the addition of two USB 3.0 ports and two SATA 6Gbps ports. However, it features a slightly different southbridge heatsink design. Unfortunately, we wish the company would have followed the path of the Classified E759 Limited Edition model and included an NForce 200 bridge chip on this refresh. On the bright side, that just means that E759 owners gain additional worth to their boards, which were only sold for a very limited two months.
The product guide also reveals a PCI-E x1 add-in USB 3.0 hardware accessory for current EVGA motherboard owners. Dubbed the EU30, this card will provide an additional two USB 3.0 ports that can transfer up to 5 gigabits per second.
The final product that Jacob hinted about is a full-tower chassis with an embedded EVGA ECP on the front panel. In fact, Cooler Master has been hinting this same chassis on its Facebook fan page for the past few days. When asked about the details, we were told that EVGA had partnered with Cooler Master to release a full-tower chassis capable of fitting the EVGA Classified SR-2 dual socket motherboard as well as four dual slot GeForce GTX 480s in Quad-SLI configuration. We hope to find more details on this soon.
In all honesty, we were not expecting EVGA to introduce new products in its high-end X58 lineup. But given the atmosphere of the industry at the moment, it doesn't seem to be a bad marketing strategy. Consider the fact that the Intel Nehalem / X58 chipset platform launched in November 2008 and will not be replaced until Sandy Bridge E releases in Q3 2011. This gives the LGA 1366 platform a full two and a half years of dominance as the high-end desktop platform.
When EVGA launched its X58 SLI motherboard in November 2008, it made sure to include all the basic necessities for performance overclocking, adequate power management and GPU expandability. As time progressed, lead motherboard engineer and technology evangelist Peter Tan 'Shamino' decided to take matters two steps further with the introduction of the EVGA X58 SLI Classified series. The first model that released in March 2009 featured almost every possible specification that any overclocking enthusiast could want. The power management layout was completely overkill, the four PCI-Express 2.0 slots ensured Tri-SLI + PhysX would be possible, and the color scheme promoted the board's famous appeal to the enthusiast community. At the end of August 2009, Shamino stepped up the company's game even further by creating a Classified masterpiece with 4-way SLI capability, a board that has only recently come under fire by several competitors appealing to the same market.
By the time EVGA had announced its absolutely overkill Classified SR-2 dual socket motherboard at CES 2010, the question to be considered was if the company could possibly innovate its single socket Classified lineup any further than it already had. With a company motto promoting "Intelligent Innovation," we could only hope that it had at least one small thought in mind for the quarterly product cycle. Within the past 9 months since the introduction of Intel's P55 chipset, the only hardware improvements that have been made in the motherboard business are the introductions of the USB 3.0 standard and the implementation of SATA 6Gbps controllers. As such, EVGA decided to include these features in its product lifecycle refresh in order to show loyal customers that it is willing to provide the most up-to-date hardware specifications in its motherboard feature set, despite an incredibly lengthy wait until the next platform refresh in Q3 2011.
Pricing and availability of the EVGA X58 SLI3, EVGA X58 Classified3, EVGA EU30 and Cooler Master chassis with EVGA Classified SR-2 support will be announced shortly.


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As the last reverberations died from Governor Cuomo's 2012 resounding New York State of the State address, it must be noted that not a single syllable was uttered about the controversial issue of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). No doubt, Cuomo and his advisors - aware of how inflammatory the topic has become in New York State (NYS) - made the political decision to sidestep it, and his silence spoke volumes. Just outside the Albany convention center where Cuomo was speaking, an anti-fracking rally called loudly for a permanent state ban on the practice.
It's proven true that wherever fracking goes (in the United States or abroad), controversy follows, but in NYS the fracking debate fervor has really peaked. Recent statewide DEC hearings were overwhelmingly attended by constituents against the practice, but a significant portion of the population, especially in economically-stressed Upstate communities, are eager for its potential benefits: income for landowners with natural gas leases, creation of gas drilling jobs and new sources of tax revenues, as well as the belief that, with fracking, comes energy independence from foreign energy. Statewide polling shows a near split on fracking as currently proposed.
As the fracking rush sweeps the globe, New York's actions will have important implications for the national (and possibly the international) debate. Here are a few reasons why:
- With drilling a possibility near the New York City watershed - the United States' largest unfiltered water supply which serves the Nation's most densely populated region and the world's largest media center - a sleeping giant of activity was awakened around this issue.
- Parts of NYS could be sitting on a lot of natural gas. The state's southern tier overlays the expansive Marcellus Shale formation, which reaches through Pennsylvania and West Virginia to Tennessee, and which holds plenty of natural shale gas. How much? No one knows for sure, but the USGS estimate of the entire Marcellus Shale gives the almost incomprehensible figure of 84 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of technically recoverable natural gas, however uncertainty with all shale-gas estimates remains. (More on the problematic nature of shale-gas estimates in the final point).
- NYS is the most prominent shale-gas state to impose a fracking moratorium to determine rules and regulations before drilling. Other states like North Carolina, Maryland and New Jersey have either official or de facto fracking moratoriums in place which are tied to further studies in some cases, but no other state poised to exploit such a massive shale play has actually restrained the oil and gas industry.
- New Yorkers have witnessed but not experienced the potential effects of widespread fracking. New York residents have been given time to scrutinize the extraction technique and have learned about environmental and health related problems linked to it, particularly those involving water contamination. Resistance has grown with the release of the 2010 documentary Gasland. The safety, environmental and regulatory difficulties experienced by neighboring Pennsylvania, in the middle of its own natural gas rush, has raised major concerns for New Yorkers. With drilling a possibility near the New York City watershed - the United States' largest unfiltered water supply which serves the Nation's most densely populated region and the world's largest media center - a sleeping giant of activity was awakened around this issue.
- NYS doesn't have a long history or culture of large-scale "extraction industries." For decades New York has had small-scale, conventional oil and gas drilling, but unlike Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Pennsylvania, fossil fuel extraction has had minimal impact on the state's landscape and economy. The specter of drill rigs, compressor stations, heavy trucks and short-term workers industrializing lands has unsurprisingly caused some anxiety, especially for those who value the bucolic surroundings and lifestyle of New York's rural lands. People who don't want to be involved in drilling don't want it to affect their way of life.
- The debate could limit the directions that future economies can take in depressed Upstate communities. Who gets to decide how much - and what kind - of the much-needed economic development in Upstate New York will occur? The people who live there or the political heavyweights in New York City-centric Downstate? After years of deindustrialization, globalization and Big Ag's farm consolidation both Upstate and around the country, most industries, from manufacturing to family farming have been gutted, leaving few opportunities behind. Many local pro-frackers look towards natural gas leasing and related job creation as a tremendous economic boon that would also serve to drive down natural gas prices with domestic production (energy security, cowboy!). The drilling industry has profits in its sites and is willing to spend big money to lobby in Albany and run a down-home media campaign to get fracking done on their terms. Others note that fracking has the potential to spoil other proximate industries rooted in the ground or dependent on clean water, like working farms, tourism and recreation, vintners and brewers.
- The debate has huge implications for the energy future of NYS (and the United States). Natural gas is touted as the "greener" fossil fuel with fewer greenhouse gas emissions, a "bridge fuel" to a renewable energy future. But for many clean and renewable energy advocates, natural gas is actually an excuse to extend the life of the fossil fuel economy. Why not start building towards a clean energy future in Upstate now instead of in some indefinite golden future? In addition, estimates of the demonstrable shale gas reserves in the United States are at best iffy and most likely not the "100-year supply" boosters claim.
Whatever direction NYS takes on fracking, the state will act as a bellwether for other states, because the Federal government assiduously avoids any kind of energy planning.


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Brett Brashear needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 143 designs submitted by 29 freelance designers.
Social Paint
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Overall I would like to see a fun, friendly and professional logo.
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CMYK and RGB needed so I need .AI (CMYK) and Layered .PSD (RGB). Also, please send png and jpg file(s).
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The federal Pell Grant program has been around in one form or another since mid 1960s. It helps students like Danielle Goodwin who have potential, but not a lot of money, pay for college.
"It helped me out a lot, I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the Pell Grant," said Goodwin, 19, a freshman political science major at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.
Annual tuition at the private liberal arts college is $26,000 a year. Goodwin pays her bill through a combination of Pell Grants, student loans and scholarships.
Goodwin recently found out she won't qualify for certain student loans next year. So when she heard the stimulus package provided extra Pell Grant money, it was good news.
"I thought that it would definitely increase my chances of staying at Augsburg, which is a school that I could never afford," she said. "I was given the opportunity to come here and that would definitely help out my situation a lot."
The most a student can get right now through the Pell Grant program is $4,731 a year. Under the federal stimulus bill that amount will go to $5,350 this summer and $5,550 by 2010.
Every year the State Grant program provides about $391 million to needy Minnesota college students. The state puts in $145 million, the rest comes from the Pell Grant program.
The stimulus package just passed by Congress would beef up that fund by $50 million in each of the next two years. That should mean more money for Minnesota college students like Danielle Goodwin.
But that increase is far from guaranteed. The reason: Minnesota's $4.85 billion projected budget deficit.
Higher education officials, legislators and financial aid officers all say the additional Pell Grant money could trigger a transfer of the state's portion of financial aid that goes to Minnesota college students. The money would go instead into the general fund to help pay for the state budget deficit.
"The budget is tough. There's lots of dramatic cuts in lots of places, so I think the fear is a legitimate one," said Mark Misukanis, acting director of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
His office calculates the infusion of stimulus money would mean $69 million could be taken out of the state grant program over the next two years without reducing the amount of financial aid Minnesota students currently receive. But it would also mean no increase in their aid.
Any decision to shift the money falls to Minnesota lawmakers.
Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, would prefer the money go to students. She admits everything is on the table.
"My caucus has been pretty strong, the Senate has been pretty strong on the state grant, but these are difficult times," she said.
At least one financial aid official says shifting money is neither in the spirit of the stimulus bill, nor the intent of the Pell Grant program.
Kathy Ruby, director of financial aid at St. Olaf College in Northfield, is also the president of the Minnesota Association of Financial Aid Administrators. Her view is shared by the statewide group, she said.
"Certainly the state deficit creates a real challenge for our lawmakers. It's easy for me to say, but it seems clear to me that this is something that students clearly need, and this is something that Congress intended," said Ruby.
At this point no decision has been made about where state money for student aid will end up. The next step will be in early March, when Gov. Pawlenty announces his latest budget recommendations.
Gov. Pawlenty didn't cut the state grant program back in January when he unveiled his fix for the state's deficit. But that was before the federal stimulus bill provided more money for the Pell Grant program.