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Terrorism is aimed at the people watching, not at the actual victims. Terrorism is a theater - Brian Jenkins, RAND corporation
The trial of Tahawwur Rana concluded a couple of days ago with the Pakistani-Canadian found guilty of providing material support to Lashkar-e-Toiba and of supporting a conspiracy to carry out a terrorist attack against the offices of the Jyllands-Posten. Rana was found innocent of conspiring with David Headley to enable Headley's role in the 2008 26/11 massacre in Mumbai. The background to this trial is extraordinarily complex and intricate, and there are many questions that can't yet be answered. Several things are certain.
Rana was accused of helping David Headley, a lifelong friend, set up a branch of Rana's business in Mumbai to provide cover for Headley's surveillance missions. Rana ran a travel business/immigration advice company. He was accused of providing similar help for the proposed attack on the Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper who caused a storm by publishing cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. The trial exhibits, available at least for a while on the US Justice Department website, include videos and transcripts of Rana's interrogation by the FBI, emails between Rana, Headley, and members of the ISI and LeT, and Headley's surveillance videos and photos.
The 26/11 Mumbai slaughter was more a paramilitary act of low-intensity warfare than it was a terrorist attack. For one thing, it was clearly state-sponsored by the Pakistani ISI, using the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) group as a proxy. The massacre was highly sophisticated - Headley made over half a dozen trips to India to carry out surveillance. The attack was not a crude bombing, but a brutal, closely targeted commando raid that lasted nearly three days. The perpetrators landed by boat, which is difficult to detect and impossible to stop. LeT gunmen stalked the streets, directed to specific GPS co-ordinates by handlers on the phone hundreds of miles away in Lahore. They gunned people down indiscriminately and set off numerous bombs. They killed over 160 people, and injured over 300. 9 of the terrorists were shot dead by Indian security forces. The member of the group that was captured alive, Ajmal Kasab, is the man in this well-known picture:
He has since been tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death by the Indian authorities.
Almost from the off, the Indian government and media have said that the ISI were behind the attacks. Indeed, they were far too co-ordinated, too well planned and executed, too 'professional' to have been carried out by a 'retail' terrorist group. Any terrorist attack that kills over half as many people as it injures (i.e. over 1/3 of all casualties are fatal) is a very 'successful' attack. Even veterans of the Soviet-Afghan war would only have experience of insurgency, of guerrilla warfare, not paramilitary urban terrorist operations as occurred in Mumbai. The shoe fits the ISI, no doubt about that.
Indeed, this has been a central theme in the US vs Rana trial. Rana initially tried to offer the defence that everything he had done, he had done for the Pakistani government. The US ruled against him, saying that he had no immunity from crimes against Americans. You can read the ruling here, courtesy of the Investigative Project on Terrorism. Throughout Headley's testimony he has referred to handlers within both LeT and the ISI who provided training and directed both the Mumbai attack and the Denmark plot. The charge sheet filed by the US government in the Chicago trial named co-conspirators including 'Major Iqbal' of the ISI. The Indian National Investigation Agency's report on their interrogation of Headley last year details how Major Iqbal was not satisfied by the training Headley got from LeT, so he arranged for further intelligence/reconnaissance training. He helped finance Headley's trip to India, and debriefed him and took copies of his photos/videos when he returned. Again, this was a highly sophisticated operation.
So, there is no real dispute that the ISI, or at least people within the ISI, had their hands all over the Mumbai plot. What this trial has largely ignored is that Headley was a secret agent of some kind, working for the US government, and may have been all along. Headley was born in the US in 1960, his mother a well-to-do white American socialite, his father a Pakistani working in the Pakistan embassy in Washington. Headley's original name was Daood Gilani. His parents split up and his father took custody of young Daood, returning home to Pakistani. Gilani was educated as an elite Pakistani cadet boarding school, where he first met and befriended Tahawwur Rana.
In 1977 there was a coup d'etat in Pakistan, when the Socialist(ish) Pakistan People's Party were accused of vote-rigging in the national elections, and the military seized control of the government. Daood's mother retook custody of him and brought him back to America. He worked in a couple of video stores and in his mother's pub (named the Khyber Pass) but clearly got involved with seedier enterprises because in 1988 he was arrested for drug smuggling. He was arrested at Frankfurt airport with two kilos of heroin in his suitcase. Gilani offered to co-operate and got a reduced sentence in return for helping set up two other men on drugs charges. He got out in 1992, but had a heroin addiction and wound up back in jail for a few months in 1995.
He was again arrested for drug smuggling in 1997, again with several kilos of heroin. What should have been a mandatory 10 year minimum sentence was commuted to 15 months in jail and five years of supervised release, i.e. parole. You can read the full docket for the 1997 drugs case here, and I strongly recommend TalkLeft's coverage of the Headley story, here. During his supervised release Headley was allowed to travel to Pakistan on several occasions, having gained permission from a judge to make the trips as part of his spying deal with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The question is, what happened next? In November 2001, two months after 9/11, Headley's lawyer, his parole officer and an assistant US attorney unanimously applied for early termination of his period of supervised release, roughly half way through the five year sentence. I found a transcript of this hearing on PACER and James Corbett has usefully published it on his site, here. Check for yourself, but the NY Times's reporting on this hearing appears to me to be very accurate:
The transcript of a Nov. 16, 2001, probation hearing in federal court in New York shows the government took great pains not to identify which agency was handling Mr. Headley, or whether he worked for more than one.
Mr. Caso, his former probation officer, recalled that Mr. Headley had been turned over to the D.E.A. Another person familiar with the case confirms this account. It was a world Mr. Headley knew well. After arrests in 1987 and 1998, he cooperated with the drug agency in exchange for lighter sentences. He specialized in the ties between Pakistani drug organizations and American dealers along the East Coast.
A September 1998 letter that prosecutors submitted to court after an arrest then showed that the government considered Mr. Headley — who had admitted to distributing 15 kilograms of heroin over his years as a dealer — so "reliable and forthcoming," that they sent him to Pakistan to "develop intelligence on Pakistani heroin traffickers."
The letter indicates that Mr. Headley, who faced seven to nine years in prison for his offense, was such a trusted partner to the drug agency in the 1990s that he helped translate hours of tape-recorded telephone intercepts, and coached drug agency investigators on how to question Pakistani suspects. The courts looked favorably on his cooperation, according to records, sentencing Mr. Headley to 15 months in prison, and five years' probation.
While he was on probation, in October 2001, a woman told the F.B.I. that she believed her former boyfriend, Mr. Headley, was sympathetic to extremist groups in Pakistan, according to a senior American official who has been briefed on the case. The government was flooded with thousands of such tips at that time, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
William Headley, an uncle, recalled that agents called his sister to ask if her son had terrorist leanings. "She didn't seem upset at all by the call," William Headley said. "And I didn't think much of it either because at that time, I thought the government was checking out anyone who had ties to Pakistan."
It is unclear how widely disseminated the warning was. But in that probation hearing one month later, the government enlisted Mr. Headley's help again, suspending his sentence in exchange for what court records described only as "continuing cooperation." According to the transcript, it was a rushed affair. The probation officer apologized for not being properly dressed, and the lawyers explained that they had not been able to make their case in writing. Mr. Headley was a potential gold mine, according to an official knowledgeable about the agreement to release him from probation. One person involved in the case said American agencies had "zero in terms of reliable intelligence. And it was clear from the conversations about him that the government was considering assignments that went beyond drugs." - NY Times
Given that Headley was perfectly useful as a DEA informant even while out of jail on supervised release, what happened that caused the US authorities to rush through this hearing? Why bother? The key is that while he was just an international spy for the DEA, he had to apply through the courts to get permission to travel to Pakistan, thus leaving a paper trail of what he was doing and when. Pakistani drugs gangs are not likely to be sending agents to New York courts to be checking records to confirm the background of a new contact, so it didn't matter, until November 2001. If Headley was, post-9/11, recruited by the CIA or a similar agency, as a terrorism/counterterrorism spy then it would be more important for him to be a deniable agent.
The implication of all this is that Headley was some kind of double agent, working for the FBI and/or CIA on a mission to infiltrate LeT, or possibly a triple agent, working to infiltrate the ISI's infiltration of LeT. Whether Headley was in reality seduced by LeT radicalism, or whether he was just playing along as part of his spying mission, is impossible to ascertain at this point. Nonetheless, that he is/was a US spy has been a relatively common accusation in the Indian media, and in the global independent media. Aside from the odd article, like this one in The Times, the Western mainstream media has mostly ignored this allegation.
Until this trial. Headley and Rana were arrested in October 2009 as a plan was coming together to attack the offices of the Jyllands-Posten. The newspaper came to prominence in late 2005/early 2006, after printing cartoons of the Islamic prophet Mohammed. The cartoons 'row' was a cynical ploy on the part of Flemming Rose, the paper's cultural editor, designed to provoke exactly the reaction it got at the time. Rose is an associate of racist Zionist academic Richard Pipes, and was awarded the Sappho award by the Free Press Society of Denmark. All's well until you realise that another recipient of the award is Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist whose depiction of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban was a focal point for Islamic (and non-Islamic) objectors. And that the Free Press Society was founded by Lars Hedegaard, who co-published a book with cartoonist Westergaard. And that they belong to the same network as Geert Wilders and, of course, Daniel Pipes. And that even the latest recipient of the award felt obliged to pay lip service to the cartoons 'row' in her acceptance speech. Clearly it is not just the CIA and ISI who are playing dark and horrible games.
In the last couple of years a lot of news, most notably Wikileaks documents and the Osama Bin Laden 'death', has steadily turned the notion of ISI complicity in terrorism from a fringe suspicion into headline fact. We're now perfectly happy to believe that 'them', 'over there', the brown-skinned governments, they might sponsor terrorism for political ends with total disregard for the lives of innocent citizens, including their own. But of course our own government, over here, they wouldn't do such a thing. And so it has played out in this trial, with the ISI's role laid out in detail by the key witness, David Headley, but his own relationship to US authorities largely left a mystery.
Rana's lawyer did break the silence, accusing Headley of being a master manipulator, who had duped Rana into playing a fringe role in the conspiracy. He also pointed out that the emails between Headley, Rana and Major Iqbal were a textbook deception on Headley's part:
Swift asked Headley if he "kept compartmentalized secrets." That question was in reference to a series of e-mails Headley exchanged with Rana and co-conspirators Saajid Mir and Major Iqbal discussing a plan to gain access to top leaders of a right-wing Hindu organization in Mumbai. Headley shared piecemeal information with his co-conspirators, so that no one except he knew the whole story.So, what are the major reasons for suspecting that Headley was a US secret agent, who either went rogue, or was on a very ugly mission? Firstly, Headley's father worked for the diplomatic service in the Pakistani embassy in Washington, and for Voice of America, a US sponsored foreign propaganda media organ, a bit like Russia Today. Voice of America has long been a means for the CIA to conduct covert action and recruit assets. It is therefore highly plausible that Headley's father worked for the CIA. His half-brother also worked as a press officer for Pakistan's Prime Minister.
"The only person who knew everything was you," Swift said. "You did well in espionage school."
"Thank you," Headley replied. - Investigative Project on Terrorism
Secondly, Headley was repeatedly reported to the authorities by his numerous wives and girlfriends as a possible radical with terrorist sympathies. Though these warnings took place regularly from late 2001 through to December 2008 - just after the Mumbai attack - Headley was not arrested until October 2009. Even that was months after a tip from British authorities in July 2009 about the Danish newspaper plot. Headley pleaded guilty after several months of debriefing, in March 2010. It wasn't until June that he was finally turned over to be interrogated by the Indian authorities. You can download the Indian NIA's interrogation report here. The US authorities are defending the deal they struck with Headley, saying that the intelligence they garnered was too valuable not to strike a pact.
So, they ignored warnings about him, even after he was still officially employed by the DEA, and even though they very much had him on their books as a person of interest. They took months to arrest him even when another intelligence service told them he posed a threat, and they then let him plead guilty and 'turn' co-operator for what will presumably be a massively reduced sentence. He was looking at life (30 years+) and a $3 million fine. On the basis of past cases I guess he'll get about 1/3 of that. He has also talked himself out of extradition to Pakistan, India or Denmark to face charges over any of his actions, and will certainly avoid the death penalty. At each stage he has been protected by the authorities in some way or another, and he is now a source of raw intelligence for the Americans alone. They didn't even let the Indian government talk to him until 3 months after he'd pleaded guilty, presumably so he could be adequately prepared to lay all the blame at Pakistan's door.
The November 16th 2001 hearing seems to be the point at which someone bigger than the DEA stepped in and took over running Headley for US intelligence purposes. Both the CIA and FBI deny ever employing Headley, but there are two key issues that bear thinking about. Anyone familiar with the global drugs trade knows that the CIA has some very dirty fingers in that particular pie. Headley, a man born into two worlds, with a drug dependence, with connections and the proven ability to use them, compromised by his criminal history, would no doubt have been on their radar as a possible asset for promotion from the DEA. He also fits the profile of a disposable intelligence asset (i.e. one who can end up being openly blamed and imprisoned) almost perfectly. The other key issues is Headley changing his name.
In February 2006 Daood Saleem Gilani became David Coleman Headley. You can read a copy of the legal decree effecting the change here. He also had a passport in the name of David Headley, though he did not change his Social Security Number at the time he changed his name. Headley told the NIA that the purpose was to avoid arousing suspicion:
The change of name, establishment of Immigration office in India on behalf of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, use of American passport to conceal my identity and so on were my ideas. The LeT appreciated these ideas. - NIA interrogation report
Note that Headley's actions would only be likely to avoid suspicion in countries like Pakistan and India. A white American man with an English-sounding name was much less likely to attract attention from immigration authorities, airport security and so on in such countries. But changing his name and getting a new passport in his new name would certainly arouse suspicion in the US authorities, assuming they were watching him. Given his prior work as a spy for the DEA, Headley would have been stupid to assume that they weren't watching him, and so the name change only really makes sense if he knew that the US authorities were nothing for him to worry about.
Then there is the media coverage of the trial, which has been almost exclusively either American or Indian, and very much sticks the boot into Pakistan for their role in the Mumbai massacre. There has been virtually nothing in the UK media about the trial, and absolutely nothing looking into his role as a secret agent. As such, there appears to be a tacit but unanimous agenda to only speak of Headley as a terrorist in cahoots with the ISI, and as a witness at the trial. No examination of the bigger questions has taken place. Among those in the independent media who have covered the story is the Corbett Report.
I was interviewed for this report and offered my thoughts as to what the hidden agenda is and why there is a refusal to examine the Headley story. Of the possibilities I mentioned, I think an invasion of Pakistan is highly unlikely. It is a huge country with a large population, nuclear weapons and an entrenched military government. A regime change is more likely, as the US seem to be covertly supporting the 'Arab spring' uprising across the Middle East, but would be risky as there is no guarantee of the new government doing as it is told. I think the most likely motive is that this is a chancy move to get into bed with the Indian government, as an economic-military bulwark against China. The Chinese and Indians don't get along, as major regional powers tend not to, and India is a nuclear power with huge economic potential and a massive population. It could be turned into the next Asian 'economic miracle' and usefully provide a new buyer for Western debt.
But the Indians aren't really buying it. The US Director of National Intelligence produced a report into the 'intelligence failure' over David Headley, and sent a copy to Indian authorities, but they are still prying into the case and attempting their own prosecutions of Rana and Headley. Secretary of Internal Security U K Bansal said of the failure to convict Rana of involvement in the Mumbai attack:
I do not see it as a setback as our case (India) is still under investigation... Prosecution in India against Rana and his co-accused David Headley depends on our own investigations which is being done by Indian investigating agencies... In our handling of terrorism in India, we do not rely overtly on prosecution in other countries. We have to rely on our own strength - Times of IndiaIndeed, exactly what India have made of the failed Mumbai prosecution is a matter of some contention. There's a very provocative discussion of the issue on the defence.pk forum, here. However, what is for me the most important aspect of this case and the whole Headley story is just how much we know about it. In similar prior cases, Egyptian Islamic Jihad trainer/CIA, FBI and US Special Forces man Ali Mohamed pleaded guilty to training Al Qaeda and helping bomb the African embassies but was never publicly sentenced, and has now pulled a Keyser Soze and disappeared off the map. Mohammed Junaid Babar, the only man to have been held responsible in any way for the 7/7 attacks in London, served a little over 4 years in prison, and a couple of years on parole. Most of the court documents in his case remain sealed.
Yet in the Headley case we have vast quantities of information at our fingertips. The Investigative Project have a page of court documents on the case, the Chicago Sun-Times have the Santiago proffer and response for Rana, where the US government tried to make him a co-operator, IBNLive have a whole batch of primary sources too. Much of this story is available to us for the cost of an internet connection and a few hours on a search engine. Despite this, very little qualitative analysis has taken place, and unless there's a diplomatic storm over India's attempts to prosecute Headley, this story will likely be forgotten, save for a lingering suspicion towards Pakistan. And maybe that's the point.


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Janosik, Schemitsch To Re-enter Draft
Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune reported today that the Lightning will not offer entry level contracts to 2010 draftees Adam Janosik and Geoffrey Schemitsch, thereby relinquishing the team's rights to both defensemen. Both players will re-enter the NHL draft this year, though it is unlikely either will be taken.
Janosik, a third round pick (72nd overall) of the Bolts in 2010, just completed his third season with Gatineau of the QMJHL. The 5'11" defenseman tied his career high in assists with 26 while accumulating 32 points in 51 games. He was an alternate captain for the Olympiques and wore the captain's "C" on occasion. He also represented his native Slovakia at the World Junior Championships, wearing an "A" for the team and totally one assist in six games. He had five assists in six games in the 2010-2011 WJCs with the Slovaks.
Janosik's career high for points was set in his draft year - his first season in North America - when he had 35 points (9 goals) in 63 games. He would never top either of those totals. He recently signed with Bili Tygri Liberec of the Czech league, where he is expected to tryout for the professional club this summer. He "grew up" in the Bili Tygri Liberec system, playing for their U18 and U20 clubs before moving to the Canadian Hockey League.
Schemitsch, 6'1", was also unable to top his draft year point totals (4-36-40) in the two years since his name was called by the Lightning. A fourth round pick (96th overall) of the Bolts in 2010, Schemitsch battled injuries in both post-draft years, including a broken arm and multiple concussions. He had 20 points (one goal) in 45 games during the 2010-2011 season before adding 11 points (one goal) in 20 playoff games as Owen Sound won the OHL championship. This past year he was limited to 49 games due to concussions and had 20 points (two goals). He was traded by Owen Sound to Oshawa mid-season, where he broke his personal 86-game regular season goalless streak. He also had three assists in six playoff games for the Generals before they were eliminated.
Janosik and Schemitsch were two of four defensemen drafted by the Lightning in rounds three and four in the 2010 draft, General Manager Steve Yzerman's first with the Lightning. Only one of the four - Radko Gudas - ended up with a contract from the Bolts. Brock Beukeboom, the first of the four drafted, had his rights traded by Tampa Bay to St. Louis in the 2011 Eric Brewer deal. Beukeboom has battled his own concussion issues in the past two seasons.
While Schemitsch not being offered a deal isn't too much of a surprise, Janosik is a gritty character defenseman that seemed to at least have a 50/50 or better shot at a contract. Perhaps the Lightning wanted more scoring from an undersized defensemen, or perhaps they didn't think ultimately he had NHL potential. He could also be a victim of timing as the Lightning are being selective now with their contracts in light of an approaching 50-man roster limit and holes to fill. They've been rumored to be interested in Swiss star Damien Brunner and possibly bringing Riku Helenius back to North America, and recently signed free agent prospect Danick Gauthier.
In the past year the Lightning have also given contracts to free agent junior defensemen Charles Landry and Daniel Milan, who we both rank behind Janosik. However, at the time those contracts were handed out the Lightning were woefully shallow with blueline prospects. Landry has been a healthy scratch at times for ECHL Florida while Milan had a very poor statistical year for Moncton and Victoriaville.
Looking back at the 2010 draft, the Lightning have two of their eight drafted players under contract - Gudas and top pick Brett Connolly. Janosik, Schemitsch, and seventh round defenseman Teigan Zahn were misses, Beukeboom was traded, and the jury is still out on collegians Jimmy Mullin (Miami, Ohio) and Brendan O'Donnell (North Dakota), though the future looks bright for both. The Bolts will hold the rights of Mullin and O'Donnell for at least the next three seasons as they finish school.
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Lightweight Diamond Quilted Jacket
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text:
Enabling or modifying a fractional set of attributes requires you to reinitialize the consumer replica. Therefore, you need to determine your fractional replication needs before deployment and define your attribute set before you initialize your replicated suffixes for the first time.
You need to proceed with caution when replicating a small set of attributes, given the dependency of complex features such as ACIs, roles, and CoS on certain attributes. In addition, not replicating other attributes that are mentioned in specifiers or filters of the ACI, roles, or CoS mechanisms might compromise the security of the data. Not replicating might also result in different sets of attributes being returned in searches. Managing a list of attributes to exclude is safer, and less prone to human error, than managing a list of attributes to include.
You need to turn off schema checking in the consumer server if the attribute set that you replicate does not allow all replicated entries to follow the schema. Replication of non-conforming entries does not cause errors because the replication mechanism bypasses schema checking on the consumer. However, the consumer will contain non-conforming entries and should have schema checking turned off to expose a coherent state to its clients.
Fractional replication is configured in the replication agreement of master replicas with hubs and dedicated consumers. Configuration of fractional replication between two master replicas in a multimaster replication environment is not supported. Also, if several masters have replication agreements with the same replica, all these agreements must replicate the same set of attributes.


text:
BetterLight FAQ
From UA Libraries Digital Services Planning and Documentation
This page is rendered in gray font because we are no longer using this hardware and software for capture
Software Problems
- disk full / no space on disk error
- can't use tools in viewfinder! I can see them but they are greyed out.
Hardware Problems


text:
Effective Communication Skills: How to Engage Employees
By: Stephen Denning, author of The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art & Discipline of Business Narrative
Quick. Complex. Interconnected. Confusing. The world today is such an unpredictable kaleidoscope of shifting information, activities, people, places, stories, and goals, all vying for a place in people's minds, it severely tests the ability to concentrate on anything in particular. Is it any wonder, then, that attention has become a scarce resource? Or that today's audiences usually aren't listening when leaders start to speak?
Your employees may be sitting there looking at you, but they are often thinking about what they did at the party last night, or thinking about drafting an email, or even physically texting someone on their iPhone. They are physically present, but mentally, they are somewhere else. They are not even registering what you are saying, let alone remembering it. Until you get their attention, you are wasting your breath.
Your primary task, then, is to engage employees with your public speaking skills.
Engaging Employees with the Right Story
Before any meaningful communication can occur, you need to clear the way and create an open space for the audience so that their minds can consider something different. The most important function of getting attention isn't taking information in, but preparing listeners' minds for something new.
Storytelling can be a great way to get the audience's attention, but only if you tell the right kind of story. Research shows that human beings tend to pay attention to things that have three main characteristics:
First, we pay attention to things which are relevant to us. Stories that get attention tend to be about things that we already care about. That means knowing what the audience is really interested in and telling a story about that. Rather than talking about something that is important to you or to the organization, tell a story about what they care about. Don't make the mistake that many managers make of starting off by talking about why you have called the meeting or what's going on in the organization. Tell a story about something that's already on your employees' minds.
Second, we pay more attention to things that are unexpected. If your story is about something that the audience already knows, it is unlikely to get their attention. Their attention will have wandered even before you have finished telling it. Your story will need to contain something surprising that can generate a response, such as "I didn't know that!"
Third, we pay more attention to things that are negative in tone. Positive stories are great for inspiring people to move into action, but negative stories are more effective in getting attention. That's because human beings have survived as a species because we are continually on the lookout for things that might harm us. Hence a story that is negative in tone will activate this phenomenon and induce listeners to set aside their daydreaming and check out what you are talking about.
Match the Message to the Audience
Thus, one of the easiest and most effective ways to get your employees' attention is to begin by telling a story about the audience's problems. You start talking about the issues that are already keeping them awake nights; in the story, you describe those problems more starkly than they have ever heard before. You are talking about something that is relevant to the listener. It is unexpectedly stark. And it is negative in tone. And so it catches their attention.
Suddenly, they're not just interested in what you have to say: they're riveted. Now you can press ahead with what you want to talk about, with a good chance that they will register it, remember it and execute on it.
This method can be equally useful in other situations, where you are new to the audience, or where the audience is wondering who you are, or questioning what right you have to be talking to them at all. In such scenarios, get the audience's attention with a story that tells how you personally dealt with adversity.
By revealing a modest degree of vulnerability you can show yourself to be, not just a manager, but a human being with feelings just like the audience. Such a story will help humanize your message so that the audience starts thinking, "Maybe I should listen to what this person is saying." On the other hand, if the audience already knows who you are, telling such a story may be unnecessary and even counterproductive, particularly if it is boring to the audience.
Whatever story you choose to tell, remember that authenticity is central. The story should not only be true in all its details but also fully representative of what happened, so that if your listeners check the story out, which they will often do, they will find that that the story is an authentically true account of what actually happened. Authenticity is what generates trust, and trust is the currency of effective leadership.
Author Bio
A second edition of Stephen Denning's award winning book, The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art & Discipline of Business Narrative, has been published by Jossey-Bass. His most recent book, The Leader's Guide to Radical Management, (Jossey-Bass, 2010) describes management principles and practices needed to promote continuous innovation. He is also the author of The Secret Language of Leadership (2007). He may be contacted at email@example.com and www.stevedenning.com. Read his Forbes blog, Rethink. He can found on Twitter at @stevedenning.


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'Twilight' tops Teen Choice Awards
Vampire drama nabs nine winsUNIVERSAL CITY -- The biggest winner at the Teen Choice Awards was "Twilight," which sucked up nine movie awards.
The vampire drama won for choice drama, romance, lip lock, rumble, drama actress for Kristen Stewart, drama actor for Robert Pattinson, villain for Cam Gigandet, fresh face female for Ashley Greene and fresh face male for Taylor Lautner, who will also appear in the upcoming sequel, "New Moon."
"We'll see you guys in theaters Nov. 20," Lautner teased the squealing crowd.
Miley Cyrus also rode a wave at the Teen Choice Awards. The teen queen sailed away with six surfboard-shaped trophies at Sunday's ceremony. Cyrus won for comedy TV actress and comedy TV show for "Hannah Montana," music/dance movie actress and hissy fit for the "Hannah Montana" movie, music single for "The Climb" and summer song for "Before the Storm." She also presented Britney Spears with the ultimate choice award.
"I'm a huge fans of hers," Cyrus said before a subdued Spears accepted her own surfboard.
Cyrus was among several multiple award winners at the 11th annual ceremony at Universal Studios Hollywood's Gibson Amphitheatre.
Show hosts the Jonas Brothers kicked off the ceremony by performing "Much Better" on a tiny stage that moved through the audience. They won five awards, including choice male red carpet icons and breakout TV show for "Jonas."
Other big winners included "Gossip Girl" and Zac Efron. Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick picked up drama actor, actress, villain and TV series awards for the sudsy CW series while Efron won for music/dance movie actor in "High School Musical 3" and comedy movie actor and rock star moment in "17 Again."


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§ 404.1745. Violations of our requirements, rules, or standards.
When we have evidence that a representative fails to meet our qualification requirements or has violated the rules governing dealings with us, we may begin proceedings to suspend or disqualify that individual from acting in a representational capacity before us. We may file charges seeking such sanctions when we have evidence that a representative:
(a) Does not meet the qualifying requirements described in § 404.1705;
(b) Has violated the affirmative duties or engaged in the prohibited actions set forth in § 404.1740;
(c) Has been convicted of a violation under section 206 of the Act;
(d) Has been, by reason of misconduct, disbarred or suspended from any bar or court to which he or she was previously admitted to practice (see § 404.1770(a)); or
(e) Has been, by reason of misconduct, disqualified from participating in or appearing before any Federal program or agency (see § 404.1770(a)).
[63 FR 41416, Aug. 4, 1998, as amended at 71 FR 2876, Jan. 18, 2006]


text:
An Extended Seminar with Ralph Raico
The lessons we draw from history depend on what we regard as the main theme of history. Professor Ralph Raico, as the leading classical liberal historian of our time, believes that the main theme is also the most neglected: the rise of liberty against the despotism of the state.
In pursuing this theme in this wonderful classroom course, Raico is taking up a project initiated by the brilliant 19th century historian Lord Acton, and variously pursued by great scholars such as Mises, Hayek, and Rothbard. Raico discusses the origin of the idea of liberty, its growth, its friends and enemies throughout history, and its possible future.
As Raico makes clear, the history of liberty is intertwined with the history of Europe and its outposts—-the Europe that has been sometimes defined as extending from Warsaw to San Francisco. Raico argues that the idea of liberty arose specifically in Western Christendom for geographic, intellectual, ideological, and theological reasons. He discusses the events, ideas, debates, and institutions that were crucial in the process of creating the "European miracle" of the most astonishing advance of civilization in history.
Throughout this 10-lecture course, Raico draws attention to literature, personalities, and events that made the difference. Most importantly, Raico discusses the origin and effects of what Ludwig von Mises called the "primordial thing: the idea of freedom from the state." The roots of this idea extend far back into the middle ages and the early centuries of Christianity. They came to fruition in the Industrial Revolution, which is vigorously defended, and were never more assaulted than in the French and Bolshevik Revolutions. The relationship between liberty and empire is also discussed, with special reference to the problem of American imperialism.
This course would be enormously valuable in any time, but it is especially essential in ours when the theme of liberty has been so neglected in scholarly literature and the popular press. This course serves as an antidote to what many have learned in their colleges and universities, which have demonized the history of Europe as one long period of exploitation and genocide. The best response to this calumny, Raico shows, is a detailed survey of the ideas, peoples, technologies, achievements, not in order to dismiss the crimes of the men of power but to draw attention to the rare accomplishments of the idea of liberty itself.
Ralph Raico, professor of European history at Buffalo State College and Schlarbaum laureate, is the author of a history of German liberalism, Die Partei der Freiheit, and such articles as "World War I: The Turning Point" and "Rethinking Churchill" in the The Costs of War. Raico has a gift for presenting history in a manner that is authoritative, clear, calm, and systematic, but also rich in detail and filled with moral passion. They are graduate-level lectures that can also be of enormous valuable for anyone from high school to lifetime learners of any age. This is a set of lectures to treasure and learn from again and again.
Ralph Raico
Ralph Raico is professor of European history at Buffalo State College and a specialist on the history of liberty, the liberal tradition in Europe, and the relationship between war and the rise of the state. Among many articles, he is author of "World War I: The Turning Point" and "Rethinking Churchill" in the 2nd edition of The Costs of War (edited by John V. Denson). He is the recipient of the 2000 Gary G. Schlarbaum Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Cause of Liberty
List Price: $10.00
Our Price: $6.89
You Save: $3.11(31%)
+ Free Shipping w/ $45 min. purchase
Category: History
Format: CD (MP3)
Publisher: Ludwig von Mises Institute
Date Published: Oct 01, 2010
Language: English
Dimensions: 5.75 x 5.00 x 0.25 (in)
Weight: 2.00 oz
Number of Disks: 1


text:
Peugeot's practical V-Clic is the UK's best-selling 50cc scooter in the first half of 2011 and now the company has unveiled two cool new colour schemes for its sporty Speedfight 3; 'Ice Blade' for those who love to stand out from the crowd, and 'Dark Side' for riders who prefer a more stealthy style. Subtle but stylish, each version features 'tribal' graphics, black alloy rims and contrasting hot red highlights; perfect for cool urban commuters.
Function hasn't given way to form with the new models; the Speedfight's liquid-cooled, two-stroke engine provides plenty of go to get around town, and can save a packet in fuel thanks to excellent economy. Its class leading 8.5 litre petrol tank (hidden beneath the floor pan) also means much greater range, with around 150 miles between fill-ups possible.
The Speedfight's responsive chassis, hydraulic front forks and 13" wheels, give reassuring handling and a smooth ride, ideal for nipping around busy city streets. While the dual piston radial caliper and 'wavey' shuricane front disc offer plenty of stopping power. Under the seat is a substantial storage bay and a dual function 12V socket to keep mobile phones charged on the move.
Anyone aged 16 and over can enjoy the new Speedfight 3 (having completed Compulsory Basic Training) – and drivers who obtained a full car licence before February 2001 are automatically entitled to ride one, without L-plates.
See the Scooters option above for more details on these new models.


text:
Welcome to Mo's Pizza. If you're looking for the best pizza in metro New Orleans, then you're in the right place. Please take the time to review our site. You can find our restaurant and catering menus available for printing and download. We also have images and information about Mo's Fest. Directions to Mo's Pizza are available under Contact Us.
Hours of Operation
- Monday - Saturday, 10am - 10pm
- Closed on Sunday.
All Menu Prices Do Not Include 9.75% Sales Tax


text:
- Subscribe via iTunes: Audio | Video
- Subscribe via RSS: Audio | Video
- Download directly: Audio | Video
- Show notes
Rene, Georgia, and Seth talk iOS 5.0.2 and iOS 5.1, iTunes Match, 4-inch iPhone rumors and whether size matters, Siri being cracked, Apple's new board, and Gmail's second bite at the App Store. This is iPhone Live!
- Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie)
- Georgia (@GeorgiaTiPb)
- Seth Clifford (@sethclifford)
Our music comes from the following sources:
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.


text:
With a brand-new interface, batch processing, output to all major formats, and both high-definition and H.264 capability, the new Squeeze 4 Compression Suite marks Sorenson's latest attempt to go after users who want a compression tool that doesn't bind them to a single codec.
"We're trying to appeal to a broader user base," says product manager Randon Morford, adding that the buzz surrounding HD at this year's NAB confirmed to him that they were headed in the right direction. But while HD is sure to be one of Squeeze 4's selling points, Morford says the company isn't hanging all its hopes on the encoder's multitude of output options. "The codec is the bait, but the application is the hook. We've got all the bait, all the codecs, but without a good hook, you're not going to keep your customers."
The interface and workflow upgrades are significant improvements, regardless of what formats you're working with. While Squeeze 4 still includes the familiar Watch folder—where you queue video files to be compressed—Sorenson has added a Batch Tree window. When you drag an uncompressed video clip there, it appears as a Job, onto which you can drag any number of Intelligent Presets (which include format, frame rate, and HD options), as well as any of the four Filters (darken, lighten, generic Web, and VHS to Web). You're not limited to the Intelligent Presets, of course. By double-clicking on any of the formats, you can control data rate, frame size/rate, audio sample size/rate, and encoding method (CBR or VBR), or any other settings a particular codec allows.
All of these changes can be applied locally to a single clip or globally to the entire contents of the Batch Tree window. "If you bring in three different videos you want to encode, you can drag and drop 56Kbps QuickTime on one, but also drag and drop Windows Media 384Kbps on the entire job," Morford says. Squeeze uses color differentiation to indicate which settings are global and which are local. When you click Squeeze It, the application begins compressing and applying filters from top to bottom in the Batch Tree window; while Squeeze is compressing a clip into one format, you can always make changes in the settings for formats it hasn't gotten to yet.
Your clip is displayed in the Preview window, where you can zoom in and out as well as crop your frame. The window is detachable from the interface, so you can watch it full screen or even on another monitor; when you dock it back into the application, it resizes to fit the standard window size.
You can also set in and out markers to do a test run: Select a few seconds of your video and highlight the format, then click Play Preview to see what it will look like. In previous versions of Squeeze, you had to remember to remove those in and out markers when you wanted to do your final compression. "I'd set something to encode overnight, walk away, and then come back in the morning to find out I'd only encoded three seconds," Morford says. Now, the preview markers only create a temporary file, and when you click Squeeze It, the application knows to encode the entire clip.
While some of Sorenson's developers were working on the interface, others were focusing on getting HD and H.264 output capability into the latest version of Squeeze. Morford admits that the FCC's digital television mandate is partially behind Sorenson's push for HD, but adds that early market adopters in the consumer space are already looking to make the switch. Still, he says that we're about five years away from most consumers having HD in their homes, a prediction with which he says his colleagues at Real and Microsoft agree. The inclusion of both HD encoding (for Real, QuickTime, Windows Media, and MPEG-1/2 output) and the MPEG-4-based H.264 output in Squeeze 4, is part of Sorenson's strategy to offer consumers a product that doesn't bind them to any one format. "A lot of hardware vendors are pushing for H.264," Morford says. "They're very wary of being too close to Microsoft and therefore losing control over how they implement their own solutions."
Squeeze 4 is set for final release sometime in Q3 2004, though Sorenson released a beta in mid-July. In our beta tests, we encountered no problems, and the compressions came off without a hitch. It compressed an 86.7MB, 27-second QuickTime movie into 384Kbps MPEG-4, Flash Video, QuickTime, Windows Media, and Real files. The QuickTime compression was the quickest, at 27 seconds, while the Windows Media file took 49 seconds, with negligible picture quality difference. The time and picture quality differential between Real, QuickTime, and Windows encodes at 1080i HD was similarly close.
The Sorenson Squeeze 4 Compression Suite will sell for $449 for both Windows and Macintosh (though the Mac version won't include Windows Media 9 output). A Macromedia Flash MX-only version will sell for $119, while an MPEG-4-only version will retail for $199. —Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen


text: BOGGS, Thomas Hale, Sr., (husband of Corinne Claiborne Boggs), a Representative from Louisiana; born in Long Beach, Harrison County, Miss., February 15, 1914; attended the public and parochial schools of Jefferson Parish, La.; was graduated from Tulane University, New Orleans, La., in 1935 and from the law department of the same university in 1937; was admitted to the bar in 1937 and commenced practice in New Orleans, La.; elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-seventh Congress (January 3, 1941-January 3, 1943); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1942; resumed the practice of law in New Orleans, La.; enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in November 1943; was commissioned an ensign and attached to the Potomac River Naval Command and the United States Maritime Service until separated in January 1946; again elected as a Democrat to the Eightieth and to the thirteen succeeding Congresses; chairman, Special Committee on Campaign Expenditures (Eighty-second Congress); majority whip (Eighty-seventh through Ninety-first Congresses), majority leader (Ninety-second Congress); disappeared while on a campaign flight from Anchorage to Juneau, Alaska, October 16, 1972; served from January 3, 1947, until January 3, 1973, when he was presumed dead pursuant to House Resolution 1, Ninety-third Congress.


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Open Positions
The White Bear Area YMCA is currently hiring for a range of positions, including membership, fitness center and aquatics staff. View a complete list of open positions to get started.
If you have already started an application, sign in to continue.
Working at the Y
When you work with the YMCA, you'll find yourself in a career with a bright future and the chance to make a lasting difference. We offer a challenging, collaborative work environment built around the Y's four core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
Explore job opportunities and learn more about what it means to be a team member:


text:
Create an LDAP data source for Company 22's directory.
$ dpconf create-ldap-data-source company22-directory company22Host:2389
Create an LDAP data source pool for Company 22's directory.
$ dpconf create-ldap-data-source-pool company22-pool
Attach Company 22's data source to the data source pool.
$ dpconf attach-ldap-data-source company22-pool company22-directory
Configure the weights of the attached data source.
$ dpconf set-attached-ldap-data-source-prop -p 2389 \ company22-pool company22-directory add-weight:2 \ bind-weight:2 compare-weight:2 delete-weight:2 \ modify-dn-weight:2 modify-weight:2 search-weight:2
Create an LDAP data view for Company 22's directory with a virtual DN of dc=example,dc=com.
$ dpconf create-ldap-data-view company22-view company22-pool dc=example,dc=com
Instruct Directory Proxy Server to map this virtual DN to the real DN that is in Company 22's directory.
$ dpconf set-ldap-data-view-prop company22-view \ dn-mapping-source-base-dn:dc=company22,dc=com
Enable the LDAP data view for Company 22's directory so that client requests can be routed to this data view.
$ dpconf set-ldap-data-view-prop company22-view is-enabled:true
Restart Directory Proxy Server for the changes to take effect.
$ dpadm restart /local/myDPS


text:
Our Generac Portable Generators
Alliance Electric of Michigan installed our generator. We now have the peace of mind that a generator can provide. The crew from Alliance Electric did a great job, they were professional and efficient and answered all our questions. We would recommend Alliance Electric to install your generator. Terry


text:
WSGC Newsletter for Educators Archives
The Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium's electronic newsletter for educators provides curriculum ideas, Internet links and other resources to help you better meet the Washington Essential Academic Learning Requirements and the National Science Education Standards. The newsletter also includes local events and workshops for Washington educators.
New bulletins are e-mailed twice monthly during the school year and once a month in the summer.
If you are not a regular subscriber and would like to receive our newsletter, go to UW's Mailman and fill in a subscription form.


text:
HEALTH CARE, Reform
Question: As you may know, the Senate recently released a new version of its health care plan that would replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Do you favor or oppose this legislation? [If favor/ oppose] Is that strongly (favor/ oppose), or only somewhat?
Source: Fox Broadcasting Company
Date: Sep. 27, 2017
Universe: Country: United States
Method: telephone: landline and cell phone
Sample Size: 1017
View Question


text:
From ForensicsWiki
Revision as of 16:35, 5 February 2012 by Cobalt2020 (Talk | contribs)
Delete Timestamps?
The article text says something about TimeStomp being able to delete timestamps. That must surely be nonsense.
A timestamp (FILETIME) is just a number from 0 up to some maximum. It can be overwritten, it can be zeroed out, but it cannot be deleted. The timestamp 0 or 1 is as valid as any other timestamp.
There are some utility libraries that cannot convert such timestamps to 'strings', and instead produce something like 'Illegal time', or just an empty string, but that is due to bugs in that particular software, and should not be assumed to be anything else.Athulin 09:07, 14 December 2011 (PST)


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There has been a lot of conversation recently on the future of the media industry, specifically drawing comparisons between TV and film and the shrinking music industry. It's been over 10 years since Napster came on the scene to disrupt traditional music business models, sparking a wave of debate on the right mix of "free" vs "paid" content going forward with digital that has yet to be fully settled.
Recording Industry Association of America
I recently had the privilege of assembling an all-star group of media executives in Beverly Hills to discuss the challenges they face in distributing, monetizing and delivering their video content. We had representatives from the entire value chain, spanning content creators (major studios such as HBO, A&E, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures), distributors (Turner Broadcasting, Sprint, Akamai) and underlying technology players (Cisco Systems, Technicolor). To bring an additional perspective to the conversation, I invited Lightspeed portfolio companies BloomReach, EdgeSpring, MapR, Nutanix, PernixData and Virtual Instruments who are focused on helping companies store, manage, analyze, and surface next-generation data and content.
The most pressing question on everyone's mind was what business model would prevail for future video content. In the shift to digital music, several models emerged, with the jury still out on the clear winner. People were quick to draw parallel comparisons for video:Music Video A la carte iTunes Video on Demand Advertising supported Vevo, Pandora YouTube; Hulu Subscription Spotify, Rhapsody Netflix, HBO Go Live events Concerts Movie Theaters
The group consensus was quite clear — media companies would need to embrace a mix of distribution channels and business models to remain relevant, a testament to customer choice driving all models in parallel. In the inevitable shift from analog dollars to digital dimes, successful companies would separate themselves from the pack through clever licensing agreements that maximized the varying margin structures of each model. In aggregate, the various revenue streams would continue to support the creation and distribution of high production value content.
Interestingly enough, a key theme resonant throughout the evening was the eventual consolidation of the industry. Many predicted that skyrocketing costs would force studios to join forces in an effort to streamline production and eliminate redundant overhead. For my part, I kept imagining Warner Bros, with its Hobbit franchise, teaming up with the Sony Pictures Bond franchise to create a secret agent Hobbit out to save middle-earth…."Baggins, Bilbo Baggins." It's safe to say I picked the right career path when I went into tech instead of Hollywood.
Technology was also seen as enabler of future success. Live concerts (a high margin model) use pyrotechnics, elaborate stage setups, and bone jarring sound systems to court fans who may otherwise consume the same music through subscription (low margin) or illegal download (no margin). Likewise 3D, IMAX, and emerging 4k resolution technologies are seen as ways boost movie theater sales in a very competitive home theater environment.
The group was particularly interested in discussing emerging technologies as a possible competitive differentiation, particularly in the context of data and analytics. BloomReach could be used to monetize long-tail content thought clever SEO, Edgespring could surface cross-channel insights into consumer behavior, while solutions such as MapR, Nutanix, PernixData and Virtual Instruments could be used to cost-effectively store and manage the vast quantities of digital data and content being generated daily.
The combined perspectives of IT executives, startups, and VCs made for an enjoyable evening of discussion and networking. Many thanks to Greenspring Associates for helping organize the event.
If you are an IT executive interested in emerging technology, we'd love to hear from you. The Lightspeed Ventures CIO Forumprovides a platform for forward thinking executives to discuss innovation, share best practices, and network with VCs and industry leading startups.
Follow us on Twitter@lightspeedvp.
Read more posts on Lightspeed Venture Partners Blog »


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AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Feb 02, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) --THQ
Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today reported financial results for the third
quarter ended December 31, 2011.
The company recently announced its updated business strategy to exit the
traditional kids' licensed video game category and focus on its core
game franchises and digital initiatives. As part of this business
realignment, the company is implementing plans to streamline its
organization and cost structure to support what will be a smaller
company positioned for sustained profitability. The company currently
expects these actions will result in a reduction of selling, general and
administrative expenses and product development expenditures totaling
approximately $160 million from its annualized run rate.
"Saints Row(R): The Third(TM) and WWE(R)
'12 demonstrate the strengths of THQ's core gaming capabilities.
These titles performed at or better than the expectations we shared
during our last investor conference call, driven by favorable critical
reviews, community engagement and outstanding marketing efforts," said
Brian Farrell, THQ President and Chief Executive Officer. "Sales of the
uDraw GameTablet and related software, and other titles in the kids,
family and casual category were far weaker than anticipated,
substantially reducing our financial results for the quarter."
"We have since concluded an extensive review of our operations to
realign our business, focusing on our key franchises with the most
potential," continued Farrell. "We are implementing a plan to bring
costs in line with our lower anticipated level of revenue. With our
focused product plan, leaner cost structure, cash balance, and existing
credit facility, we believe the company has adequate resources to
execute on our plan and deliver on our strong multi-year pipeline of
Financial Highlights
For the Three MonthsEnded December 31,
Games/Market Share
Digital Highlights
Business Realignment
THQ announced recently that it is exiting development of traditional
kids' licensed console games. The company has concluded negotiations
with two licensors and is negotiating arrangements with two others. The
company is also substantially eliminating its ongoing financial
commitment with developers as it exits this business. Additionally, THQ
has no future commitments or plans to manufacture uDraw hardware. THQ's
strategy is to focus on its premium core and fighting franchises and to
expand its digital revenues.
As part of this business realignment, the company is implementing
initiatives to streamline its organization and cost structure. The
company currently expects these actions will result in a reduction in
its annualized run rate of selling, general and administrative expenses
of approximately $60 million, and a reduction of its annualized product
development expenditures of approximately $100 million, primarily due to
its exit from the kids' licensed console games category.
Total charges related to these actions are estimated at approximately
$11.0 million, of which $2.5 million are non-cash. The majority of these
charges are expected to be recorded by the end of the 2012 fiscal year
and will be excluded from the company's non-GAAP results.
Product Release Schedule
THQ has announced the following core releases scheduled through fiscal
Planned Release
Undisputed(R) 3
Park: The Game
Last Light
The company also has in development two unannounced core titles for
release in fiscal 2013.
THQ's lineup of future titles announced for fiscal 2014 and beyond
Millennium(R) Online
The company also has in development four unannounced core titles for
release in fiscal 2014 and beyond. The majority of all unannounced
titles are company-owned IP.
Investor Conference Call
THQ will host a conference call to discuss fiscal 2012 third quarter
results and fiscal fourth quarter and full year 2012 guidance today at
2:30 p.m. Pacific/5:30 p.m. Eastern. Please dial (877) 356-8075 domestic
or (706) 902-0203 international, conference ID 43429454 to listen to the
call or visit the THQ Inc. Investor Relations Home page at http://investor.thq.com.
The online archive of the broadcast will be available approximately two
hours after the live call ends. In addition, a telephonic replay of the
conference call will be provided approximately two hours after the live
call ends through February 4, 2012 by dialing (855) 859-2056
domestically, or (404) 537-3406 internationally, conference ID 43429454.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to results determined in accordance with GAAP, the company
discloses certain non-GAAP financial measures that exclude the impact of
the following:
Non-GAAP results also include the impact of any foreign currency
fluctuations on our available-for-sale investment securities, when
classified in equity for GAAP purposes.
For non-GAAP purposes, the company uses a fixed, long-term projected tax
rate of 15% to evaluate its operating performance, as well as to
forecast, plan and analyze future periods.
THQ may consider whether other significant items that arise in the
future should also be excluded in calculating the non-GAAP financial
measures it uses. The company excludes these items from its non-GAAP
financial measures primarily because its management does not believe
they reflect the company's primary business, ongoing operating results
or future outlook. THQ's management believes that the use of non-GAAP
financial measures provides meaningful supplemental information
regarding its financial condition and results of operations, and helps
investors compare actual results to its long-term operating goals as
well as to its performance in prior periods. The non-GAAP financial
measures included in this earnings release have been reconciled to the
comparable GAAP results in the accompanying tables, and should be
considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but
should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results.
In addition to the reasons stated above, which are generally applicable
to each of the items THQ excludes from its non-GAAP financial measures,
the company's management uses certain of the non-GAAP financial measures
for the following reasons:
Stock-Based Compensation. THQ does not consider stock-based
compensation charges when evaluating the performance of its business or
formulating its operating plans. Stock-based compensation charges are
subject to significant fluctuation outside of the control of management
due to the variables used to estimate the fair value of a share-based
payment, such as THQ's stock price, interest rates and the volatility of
the company's stock price. Further, when considering the impact of
equity award grants, THQ places a greater emphasis on the use of such
grants as retention tools for long-term stockholder value creation, as
well as overall stockholder dilution, rather than the accounting charges
associated with such grants.
Deferred Revenue/Costs. The company defers revenue and related
costs from the sale of certain titles that have undelivered elements
upon the sale of the game, such as online services, and recognizes that
revenue upon the delivery of the undelivered elements or over the
estimated service period as applicable. As there is no impact to its
operating cash flow, THQ's management excludes the impact of deferred
net revenue and related costs when evaluating the company's operating
performance, when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods,
and when assessing the performance of its management team. In addition,
we believe these measures provide a more timely indication of trends in
our business, provide comparability with the way our business is
measured by analysts, and consistency with industry data sources.
Business Realignment Expense. Although THQ has incurred business
realignment expenses in the past, each charge relates to a discrete
event based on a unique set of business objectives. THQ's management
does not believe these charges reflect the company's primary business,
ongoing operating results or future outlook. As such, the company
believes it is appropriate to exclude these expenses from its non-GAAP
financial measures.
Impact of Capitalized Interest. The company capitalizes interest
expense and other financing costs as a component of capitalized software
development. THQ's management considers interest cost to be a financing
cost in the period in which it is incurred, and thus excludes the impact
of the capitalization of interest costs to software development and the
subsequent amortization expense when evaluating the company's operating
performance, when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods,
and when assessing the performance of its management team.
Other significant charges and benefits. THQ does not consider
certain significant charges and benefits that are related to discrete
events or market conditions to be indicative of ongoing operating
results or future outlook. As a result, the company believes it is
appropriate to exclude expenses and benefits such as legal settlements
or market-related impairments, from its non-GAAP financial measures.
Fiscal Periods
Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearest March 31st. For simplicity,
we present all fiscal periods as ending on a calendar month end. Our
fiscal 2012 third quarter ended on December 31, 2011. Our fiscal 2011
third quarter ended on January 1, 2011.
About THQ
Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher
of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products
for all popular game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and
the Internet. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells
product through its global network of offices located throughout North
America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its
products may be found at http://www.thq.com/.
THQ, Darksiders, Devil's Third, Homefront, inSANE, Metro: Last Light,
Saints Row, Saints Row: The Third, uDraw, UDraw GameTablet and their
respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.
Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, the Xbox logos, and the Xbox LIVE
Arcade logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment
Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi are trademarks of Nintendo.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
THQ Inc. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations, estimates and projections about the business of
THQ Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as "THQ"),
including, but not limited to, expectations of video game console and
software growth, financial guidance, estimated release dates, and the
potential for online gaming. These statements are based upon
management's current beliefs and certain assumptions made by management.
Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but
not limited to, business, competitive, economic, legal, political, and
technological factors affecting our industry, operations, markets,
products, or pricing. Readers should carefully review the risk factors
and the information that could materially affect THQ's financial
results, described in other documents that THQ files from time to time
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2011 and subsequent
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and particularly the discussion of
trends and risk factors set forth therein. Unless otherwise required by
law, THQ disclaims any obligation to update its view on any such risks
or uncertainties or to revise or publicly release the results of any
revision to these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not
to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date of this press release.
(In thousands, except per share data)
Three Months EndedDecember 31,
Nine Months EndedDecember 31,
THQ Inc. and Subsidiaries
Reconciliation of GAAP net loss to Non-GAAP net income (loss) (a)
For the Nine MonthsEnded December 31,
(a) See explanation above regarding the company's practice on reporting
non-GAAP financial measures.
(b) Business realignment expenses in the three months ended December 31,
2011 reflect actions taken through December 31, 2011 and include: $3.1
million of software development related to cancelled titles and $1.3
million of cash charges for severance and other employee-related costs,
as well as gains of $0.9 million for changes in estimates related to
contract and lease terminations and long-lived asset write-offs.
(c) Included in "Cost of sales-License amortization and royalties" in
our GAAP statement of operations for the three and nine months ended
December 31, 2010 is a $30.3 million impairment charge on kids
movie-based licenses.
(d) Represents interest expense capitalized to software development and
subsequent amortization.
(e) Realized gains on sales of investments to the extent we had
previously excluded a related other-than-temporary impairment from
non-GAAP amounts.
(f) Mark-to-market adjustments, including the impact of changes in
foreign currency rates, related to certain of our available-for-sale
investment securities; these amounts are recorded in "Accumulated other
comprehensive income," a component of stockholders' equity, on our
balance sheet until realized.
(g) For non-GAAP purposes, the company uses a fixed, long-term projected
tax rate of 15% to evaluate its operating performance, as well as to
forecast, plan and analyze future periods.
(h) Non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share has been calculated using diluted
shares before applying the "if-converted" method relative to the Notes
issued in August 2009.
(In thousands)
December 31,2011
March 31,2011
SOURCE: THQ Inc.
THQ Investor RelationsLisa Mueller, 818-871-5125orTHQ Corporate CommunicationsAngela Emery, 818-871-8650


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It was one of those "Oh... I didn't even think about that" vegan moments. A recipe called for chicken broth. What do you use in place of chicken broth? Water didn't sound that appealing and tomato juice was too tomato-ey...
So... after another "duh" moment, I decided to make vegetable broth. Why didn't I think of this before? This is SO easy and so delicious and works so well in recipes... who needs chicken broth!
What I love about making broth is that you can create the flavor that you want. If you like more onions, add more onions, if you like more carrots, add more carrots! If you want tomatoes, add tomatoes! It's completely up to you and you can change it every time. Another great thing about homemade vegetable broth is that it is an excellent way to use vegetables that aren't quite as fresh as they used to be. Are they starting to shrivel? Look a little tired? It's okay, they won't mind at all. Just throw them in the pot!
So today's recipe is simply a suggestion. Try this out. Make your own vegetable broth. Feel domestic... and enjoy the fact that you created this wonderfully healthy broth to use in your home cooking.
Some uses for homemade vegetable broth:
- Use it as your "liquid" in making mashed potatoes and/or homemade stuffing, it adds a truly delicious flavor!
- Make your own homemade soups and stews with the vegetable broth as the base liquid.
- Use the broth to cook rice & pasta, and to boil potatoes in... you will LOVE the flavor it adds!
- Vegetable broth is fat free and can be a great tool to use in low fat cooking such as sauteing and steaming.
- If you have someone who is sick: give them plain warmed vegetable broth. It is very healthy and can soothe sore throats and is gentle on upset stomachs.
- Bring leftover casseroles back to life by adding a few tablespoons of homemade vegetable broth over the entire dish and heating it in the oven. It will rehydrate the dish and make it taste like it was just made!
- It will make the best base for a vegetable and dumpling soup that you have ever tasted!
Basic Homemade Vegetable Broth
Written by: Carrie @ http://www.gingerlemongirl.com
The ingredients for this very basic broth will make about 10 cups of broth.
You can use more or less ingredients + water to create the amount that you will use.
2 whole carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly sliced
2-4 whole peeled cloves of garlic
1/2 of a large green pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
10 mushrooms (any type will work!), rinsed
4-5 small red potatoes, quartered
*** Any vegetables will really work for this broth, use what you have on hand!***
Optional seasonings:
1-2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Salt-free seasonings such as Mrs. Dash
Salt & Pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon summer savory
1 teaspoon rosemary
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Fresh parsley
- Coarsely chop all vegetables and add to a large stock pot. Also add any optional seasonings that you desire.
- Add 10-12 cups of water to the stock pot.
- Bring stock to a rolling boil and then turn heat down to just simmering.
- Simmer over low heat for 2-4 hours.
- Taste the stock as it cooks to adjust seasonings until you get the flavor that you desire.
- Once stock has cooked, let it cool for several hours on the stove top.
- When cool, strain stock through a very fine sieve to remove all vegetables. You will be left with a very fine tan - brown stock that is absolutely delicious.
- Some people choose to puree the vegetables that were used in the stock and add then add them back to broth for a creamier texture. You can do this if you choose too. If you want a clear stock, simply use the discarded vegetables for another dish, or add them to your compost.
- Store cooled broth in glass jars or airtight containers in the refrigerator or the freezer. Will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator and for 6 months in the freezer.
The winner of Stephanie O'Dea's Make it Fast, Cook it Slow Cookbook was chosen randomly with the help of Random.org...
The winner is:
Her entry stated:
"My favorite slow cooker recipe is an extremely simple pinto bean soup. I'd sure like to expand my gluten-free crockpot horizons and would love to win this book.
Gudrun45 -- Please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com with your contact information and I will ship the book to you immediately!
Congratulations to Gudrun45 and THANK YOU to everyone who entered the contest!


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Deena Centofanti
Click ... there it is ... the familiar voice booming from my clock radio ... it's 4:30 am. I hit the snooze, snuggle back into the blankets and remind myself that I've got about 4 more minutes of peace!
My workday starts early and that's how I like it. I've always been a morning person and for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a journalist.
It was a speech class at my Cincinnati-area high school that exposed me to the thrill and challenge of storytelling.
At Miami of Ohio University I studied broadcast journalism and that's where I really began to understand the power and responsibility of television reporting.
Shortly after graduating from Miami, I landed my first TV job - an entry-level production assistant at WSYX-TV (ABC) in Columbus, Ohio.
The salary was lousy, but the experience was invaluable. Working behind the scenes, gave me a nuts & bolts education in how a newsroom and a television station really work. I'll never forget sleeping on the floor and eating pizza for breakfast as we worked around the clock in January 1991, covering the Gulf War.
My first on-air job came in 1993 - I was hired to debut a morning news show on a small TV station in Steubenville, Ohio. Not only was I the anchor, but the producer as well. I even ran my own footpedal-activated teleprompter under the anchor desk!
My stay in Steubenville - just like other early TV jobs - would be short but memorable - I will never forget those early lessons learned.
In 1997, as a newlywed, I was offered an opportunity that would not only change my career, but my zip code, as well. I joined the FOX 2 News team as an anchor and reporter. It was a big market job that allowed me to stay in the Midwest - which pleased me … and my parents! My mother was born in Detroit and my grandfather started a 40 year career at General Motors in the mail room - so I have a real connection to the Motor City.
Since walking in the door at FOX 2, I've had tremendous opportunities as a reporter; covering Pope John Paul II's visit to St. Louis, traveling to Washington D. C. for the impeachment of President Clinton and going to Los Angeles a few times to rub elbows with FOX superstars. (I was even supposed to make it into a scene of Ally McBeal as an extra, but they cut me out!)
After my first child was born in 1999, I discovered so much about myself as a new mom as I voraciously read about raising healthy children in a healthy world. It's with that passion I took on the job of health reporter.
Now, 10 years later, as the mother of 3, I'm still excited to come to work everyday and hopefully, make a difference.
From the breast cancer survivor walking on Belle Isle or the dad who discovers prostate cancer just in time, to the beautiful mom who's finally proud to look in the mirror after losing 100 pounds or the bald baby bravely fighting leukemia ... I'm honored to tell your stories.
My brother is deaf and has cerebral palsy, so I grew up with the intrinsic knowledge that life isn't always fair. We are not all dealt the same hand, but if we have the courage and determination to change what we can ... we have the power to make the world a better place.
Follow me on Facebook and on Twitter @fox2deena


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Obviously for a few years in South Africa there was the 'excitement' of Imran Tahir in the test team but I never fell for it eventhough he got wickets in England and South Africa domestically. The cost of them was so great at times in our 4-day series in SAF.
Sure it is difficult to bowl spin in SAF and other places but you have to do it to play test cricket for SAF or whoever else if thats your art.
I've never been one to say you have to have a leg-spinner as they are more attacking etc You still have to be a good spinner and today we see the likes of orthodox spinners (with the odd exception) in Panesar, Swann, Lyon, Vettori, Patel, Herath, Randiv, Ojha, Harbhajan, Ashwin, Narine (exception),Permaul, Ajmal (exception), Rehman and now Peterson come in and do jobs (take wickets and bring something to the team ito pressure).
I always have the belief that I don't mind the spinner going for 4 to 5 an over as long as he gets bags of wickets particularly in the 2nd innings. But even the wrist spinners in the game today who have got chances weren't getting the big hauls and weren't consistent enough to keep pressure on and bleeding runs.
You think of Adil Rashid (only limited overs sure), Brad Hogg, Bryce McGain, Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra, Devandra Bishoo, Todd Astle (still deserves more chance of course so question mark still) come on to the international scene and not set it alight. The latest now in Imran Tahir. May be others I can't rememeber.
Suppose the last one to hold down a spot for a long enough period was Danish Kaneria for Pakistan.
Where is the next Albert Vogler, Aubrey Faulkner,Clarrie Grimmett, Subhash Gupte, Bill O'Reilly , Johnny Wardle (mixture), Richie Benaud, Bhagwath Chandresaker, Dennys Hobson, Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed, Anil Kumble, Shane Warne , Stuart MacGill & Paul Adams ?
So who are the leg-break bowlers coming through in each country and is there potential there ? Because at the moment there is a difficult period for this part of our game it seems.


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Ready, Set, GIVE!
There are certain qualities I want to see developed in my boys. I want them to grow to be respectful of others. I want them to practice tolerance and patience. I want them to learn our beliefs as a family and in our church. And, I want them to be givers.
There are so many opportunities today to develop young philanthropists. Our church offers so many ways for children to be involved, but not everyone is as active in church as we are, nor does every church offer the opportunities ours does. Sometimes, you have to seek out your own.
Teaching children to be "givers", or philanthropists, is quite simple. During the holidays, participate as a family in a local Blue Santa program or the Salvation Army Angel Tree. Let your children see the value in creating a nice Christmas for someone they don't even know. If you pass by a Salvation Army kettle during the holidays, let your child put in a few coins. Food donations are a great tool throughout the year. When you are at the grocery store with your child, let them pick out several canned goods and deliver them together to the local food pantry. Help them clean out their closet of clothes that don't fit and toys they no longer play with, then let them make a donation to the local Goodwill or thrift store. Explain to the children not only what you are doing but WHY.
A more simple and very local way to teach giving is to share with your neighbors. Bake a batch of cookies and share with an elderly neighbor or a new family. If you have a garden, share your crop with someone on your street. Sharing your time is equally as important…help a neighbor with a chore outside, offer to gather their mail or newspaper if they are going out of town.
Just remember the value in learning to give is to understand the "why"…that we are here to take care of each other and help each other, and we can do that in so many ways and on so many levels. Let children participate with you in your own charitable giving, and they will learn a lesson that will last a lifetime.


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PHILADELPHIA � A year later, back in the NCAA Tournament, Creighton�s Ethan Wragge vividly remembers the play that transformed him from anonymous sharpshooter to reviled hatchet man in the eyes of some North Carolina basketball fans.
Kendall Marshall was dribbling through the Bluejays� pressing defense.
What happened next � Wragge�s foul on the driving Marshall, who then broke his wrist while trying to brace his fall to the court � became both memorable and contentious.
Here�s how the Creighton forward described it Saturday, as his team prepared to meet Duke in tonight�s Midwest Region matchup at Wells Fargo Center.
�He had a pretty wide-open layup and he was just changing sides of the court,� Wragge said. �His momentum was carrying him right. I was coming over to try to make sure that we didn�t give up an easy layup and get down even more.
�When you�re momentum�s carrying you like that, that�s how it happened. It was nothing malicious. When you catch yourself like that, you can hurt yourself.�
Wragge scored nine points that night as North Carolina defeated Creighton 87-73 at Greensboro Coliseum.
Meanwhile, Marshall�s broken wrist left the Tar Heels without their indispensible distributor and floor leader in their Sweet 16 victory against Ohio and Elite Eight loss to Kansas.
And in certain circles, that injury � which ultimately ended the two-season college career of Marshall, who jumped to the NBA � cast Wragge as the villain who derailed a potential national championship run.
He said when Creighton�s return flight landed in Omaha, Neb., he felt the varying reaction online. He was despised by some. To others, though, he was a sympathetic figure.
�There was a lot of mentions on my Twitter account, from North Carolina fans upset,� Wragge said. �And then there was a lot of Omaha people who were supportive. It was both sides.
�I didn�t say anything for a bit. I just tried to let it slide by. It was a month-long thing.�
Wragge said he hasn�t contacted Marshall about the play. He said Creighton coach Greg McDermott did speak with North Carolina coach Roy Williams on the subject.
�It was a play on the ball,� Wragge said. �I hope everyone can see that now.�
A junior this season, Wragge provides production off the bench as Creighton�s sixth man. His 78 buckets from 3-point range lead the team. He hit four 3s Friday in the Bluejays� NCAA Tournament opener, a 67-63 victory against Cincinnati.
He also has dealt with his own wrist injury, suffering two bone bruises against Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference, the result of a fall to the court similar to Marshall�s.
Wragge understands his name still elicits venom among North Carolina�s fan base. But tonight, maybe he can change some of those perceptions.
After all, Creighton is playing Duke, the Tar Heels� archrival.
�Hopefully they�ll be able to forgive me a little bit,� he said.


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Before I say anything else about Mathematica, let me just say that I think Wolfram Research are missing out. They've got a Mac version of Mathematica, but it's still called Mathematica, and I feel like it needs a catchy name. Wolfram, if you're reading, how about Mathemactica sometime in the future?
If that paragraph confused you, I'm talking about Mathematica, a powerful and widely-used piece of math software. It does lots of pretty 3D stuff, tables, and tons more, but it will also do Riemann integrals and a bunch of other stuff that you tried to forget from your college math classes. I use it a fair bit, and I'm continually impressed by the power and flexibility it has, so I'm even more excited to play with version 6.0.
Wolfram has just recently released Mathematica version 6.0 and is sending it out the door with a ridiculous amount of new features. They're also promising that one of the new features is "the most important in the 20-year history" of the program. So what are these new features? Well, the big one is something called "Dynamic Interactivity," which sounds like a bad marketing buzzword. Dynamic Interactivity (or DI for the cool kids) looks to be a way of quickly generating interfaces for Mathematica code. As an example, say you're trying to calculate an integral. Using the new DI functionality, you can add sliders for each of the endpoints, and watch a pretty graph of the integral change as you move the endpoints. It sounds like a pretty simple example, and it is, but the same features can be quite powerful when you're working with 3D graphs or other complex structures.
That's not all, though. Mathematica 6.0 comes with lots of other stuff, a full description of which would take up way too much space. There are new and improved 3D graphics and visualization tools, lots of new interface tools, and various expanded integration, statistics, and other functions. There are apparently over 1,000 new functions in this version, so learning them all should keep you busy for a while. Last but not least, there are a bunch of new data tools built into Mathematica, including support for all kinds of data types. You can import molecules, time-series data, maps, and even Apache logs. But even if you don't have lots of data laying around, there's a "Load On Demand" data library provided with the new version, just in case you're bored.
If you're curious about the new features, I'd highly recommend checking out the demos and new features (complete with sample code). Mathematica is a bit pricey for the average user to just play with (but be sure to look for educational prices or site licenses if you're a student); however, it's a very powerful tool and well worth the money if you need it.


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KEITH Fahey scored his first goal since August as ruthless Birmingham stretched their unbeaten run to 16 games to move up to third in the npower Championship as Barnsley were brushed aside at Oakwell.
In-form Blues showed no signs of fatigue in their 44th game of the season as they followed up their impressive FA Cup draw at Chelsea with a deserved victory against Keith Hill's side.
Chris Burke set the ball rolling with an early opener which was deflected in off Tykes skipper Rob Edwards and the impressive Fahey was also on target in the first half after Barnsley's leading scorer Craig Davies' 10th goal of the season had brought the home side level.
Substitute Nathan Redmond sealed the points for Chris Hughton's side with a third goal after great work from Fahey and Burke to leave Blues five points behind second-placed Southampton with a game in hand.
It took Blues just six minutes to take the lead, with Marlon King capitalising on a mistake from Jim McNulty on the touchline and cutting the ball back for Burke, whose goal-bound left-foot shot was deflected in off the head of centre-half Edwards.
But the Tykes were level 18 minutes in, when debutant David Cotterill looked to be upended in the penalty area but after referee Carl Boyeson waved play on the winger picked himself up to cut the ball back for Davies, who drilled home with a clinical right-foot finish.
Burke was giving Tykes left-back Jay McEveley a torrid time and the winger fired over the bar before the impressive Fahey swivelled and fired the visitors back in front with a venomous left-foot drive from 20 yards which in off the far post.
Barnsley's leading scorer Davies was proving to be a handful for the Birmingham defence and the summer signing from Chesterfield had his head in hands 10 minutes before half-time when his measured right-foot strike rattled the crossbar.
Barnsley were struggling to contain Burke and the former Cardiff man foxed McEveley with an exquisite piece of skill but his cross was deflected away from King as the striker prepared to pull the trigger.
Blues midfielder Jordon Mutch had a lucky escape when he sliced a tame corner from the right just wide of his own goal.
But Hughton's side gave themselves some breathing space with a third goal 13 minutes from time after a brisk break which involved Fahey and Burke, the two best players on the park.
Irish midfielder Fahey was the architect, with a raking long-range pass into the path of Burke and he crossed to the back post where the onrushing Redmond finished emphatically with his left foot just four minutes after coming on as Blues sauntered to a fifth consecutive away win.


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The offensive linemen who line up against Michael Strahan on Sundays just got a whole lot of new ammunition for trash tralk. And Strahan can't run from it, either, because he's going to have to play football for a loooong time. He can't afford not to.
I'm a little late with this, but Strahan's lovely ex-missus was awarded $15.3 million in divorce court. She's actually getting more than half his net worth. Court records indicate he's worth about $22 million, and she's getting the $15.3. I don't know what's right or wrong, or who deserves what, but damn. It just hurts to see that happen for a guy.
The NFL should put him on the payroll to tell this story at the rookie symposium every year. He'll start out lecturing calmly about prenuptial agreements and protecting your financial assets... but by the end, he'll be crying and telling the rookies that they should never touch a woman again, because they're just not worth it.
Eddie Murphy tried to warn us all about "half."
$15 Mil Penalty Topples Giant [NY Post]


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Alcohol and Drug Problems: Law Enforcement and Legal Policy
Anna Celeste Burke
Historically, U.S. policy has been characterized by long-standing ambivalence evident in the changing emphasis placed on prohibition as the aim of drug policy, and in debate about the relative merits of various approaches to drug control. Often characterized as supply reduction versus demand reduction efforts, significant changes have occurred over time in these efforts, and in the emphasis placed on them. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, U.S. drug policy adopted a more prohibitionist stance, with increased reliance on a variety of law enforcement, and even military actions, to control the supply and use of drugs, even in the face of evidence for the effectiveness of prevention and treatment, and high costs associated with the burgeoning incarceration rates.
Confidentiality and Privileged Communication
Carolyn I. Polowy, Sherri Morgan, W. Dwight Bailey, and Carol Gorenberg
Confidentiality of client communications is one of the ethical foundations of the social work profession and has become a legal obligation in most states. Many problems arise in the application of the principles of confidentiality and privilege to the professional services provided by social workers. This entry discusses the concepts of client confidentiality and privileged communications and outlines some of the applicable exceptions. While the general concept of confidentiality applies in many interactions between social workers and clients, the application of confidentiality and privilege laws are particularly key to the practice of clinical social workers in various practice settings.
Criminal Justice: Overview
Rudolph Alexander Jr.
The criminal justice system traces its roots to ancient times. When the 13 original colonies were formed, they brought many of the laws and legal processes from England. Traditionally, the criminal justice system is viewed as including law enforcement, judiciary, and corrections. However, state legislatures and Congress must be viewed as essential components of the criminal justice system because they pass laws that influence the other three components. A number of controversial practices and policies exist within the criminal justice system. Social work, which has had a long involvement in the criminal justice system, including spearheading the creation of the juvenile justice system in the United States, is involved in all phases of the criminal justice system.
Drug Courts
Julie Schroeder and Bridgette Harris
Drug courts were developed to facilitate treatment for criminal offenders with substance abuse problems. Drug courts operate using dual paradigms of healing and discipline via treatment, social service resources, and case management for healing, and judicial sanctions and criminal justice interventions in efforts to initiate change resulting in sobriety and no further criminal behavior. The key goals of most drug courts are to reduce drug use and associated criminal behavior by engaging and retaining drug-involved offenders in programs and treatment services; to concentrate expertise about drug cases into a single courtroom; to address other defendant needs through clinical assessment and effective case management; and to free judicial, prosecutorial and public defense resources for adjudicating non-drug cases.
It is vital that social work students be introduced to drug courts and how they function for students to gain better understanding of how addiction can bring their clients into contact with the criminal justice system. Drug courts are ideal settings for internship placements so that students can get hands-on experience in a court setting and assist clients using a therapeutic jurisprudence model.
Prison Violence
Kristine Levan
This entry presents an overview of prison violence and how issues such as overcrowding and scarcity of resources may contribute. Exploring both collective and interpersonal levels of violence, issues such as incidents between inmates and those between inmates and staff are examined. This entry looks at the issues facing males, females, juveniles, and the mentally ill as they contend with correctional institutions and violence within these institutions. The potential effects of violent victimization are also examined, as well as potential interventions and solutions to reduce violence.