text:
Clifford Nass, a Stanford professor whose pioneering research into how humans interact with technology found that the increasingly screen-saturated, multitasking modern world was not nurturing the ability to concentrate, analyze or feel empathy, died on Nov. 2 near Lake Tahoe. He was 55.
He had a heart attack at Stanford Sierra Camp, his son, Matthew, said. The university said he had returned from a hike and collapsed at the camp, outside South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Dr. Nass, who majored in math at Princeton but became a professor of communication at Stanford, spent more than 25 years studying people as they confronted the constantly changing technology of the computer age — how they responded to simulated voices (we trust male voices to give us driving directions); the titillation of 24-hour news networks and smartphone swiping (we are naturally weak for endless streams of blather, whether on a television news crawl or Twitter); and the anxiety of operating (or not) a self-driving vehicle in the rapidly arriving future.
The windshield, Dr. Nass said, was in danger of becoming just another screen.
"Imagine you get into an autonomous car, and it's sunny outside, your suburban road is empty and you're playing 'Angry Birds,' " Dr. Nass said in an interview with Automotive News earlier this year, referring to the video game franchise.
"An hour later, the car asks you to take over within 10 seconds. Except now, it's pouring rain, there's tons of traffic downtown and the car to your left rear is behaving erratically. These are things you would have noticed if you were driving.
"But now you are dropping in from outer space, basically. We have no idea whether people can mentally prepare themselves for this."
Yet when it comes to managing irresistible new technologies, people tell themselves they are prepared. Denial is a great enabler, Dr. Nass found.
One of his most publicized research projects was a 2009 study on multitasking. He and his colleagues presumed that people who frequently juggled computer, phone or television screens, or just different applications, would be skilled at ignoring irrelevant information, or able to switch between tasks efficiently, or possessed of a particularly orderly memory.
"We all bet high multitaskers were going to be stars at something," he said in an interview with the PBS program "Frontline." "We were absolutely shocked. We all lost our bets. It turns out multitaskers are terrible at every aspect of multitasking. They're terrible at ignoring irrelevant information; they're terrible at keeping information in their head nicely and neatly organized; and they're terrible at switching from one task to another."
He added, "One would think that if people were bad at multitasking, they would stop. However, when we talk with the multitaskers, they seem to think they're great at it and seem totally unfazed and totally able to do more and more and more."
With children doing more multitasking and people asked to do more of it at work, he said, "We worry that it may be creating people who are unable to think well and clearly."
Much of Dr. Nass's work was rooted in themes he explored in some of his earliest research — the idea that people relate to technological devices socially, and that those interactions affect people.
In the 1990s, he and his colleagues conducted an experiment showing that people felt flattered when they were praised by computerized voices. In another experiment, a computer with a prominent green frame was used. Some of its users were given green armbands to wear; others were given blue armbands. The people wearing green armbands were more likely to feel favorably toward the computer.
"Everybody thought they were tools, that they were hammers and screwdrivers and things to be looked at in an inanimate fashion," said Byron Reeves, a Stanford communications professor who collaborated with Dr. Nass and wrote a book with him, "The Media Equation: How People Treat Computers, Television and New Media as Real People and Places," which was published in 1996.
"Cliff said, 'No, these things talk, they have relationships with you, and they make you feel good or bad.' "
Clifford Ivar Nass was born on April 3, 1958, in Teaneck, N.J., the youngest son of Jules and Florence Nass. His mother was a leader in New Jersey in efforts to stop drunken driving after Dr. Nass's older brother, Michael, was killed by a drunken driver in 1981.
Michael preceded Clifford as an undergraduate at Princeton, where Clifford later received his doctorate.
Dr. Nass received his undergraduate degree in math in 1981 and worked in computer science at Intel, where he helped develop the 286 processing chip. He expected to study computers in graduate school but was drawn instead to sociology, particularly how people interacted with technology. Mr. Reeves helped recruit him to Stanford in 1986, the year he received his doctorate.
In the 1990s, both men took time away from Stanford to consult with Microsoft, where they helped develop Microsoft Bob, a poorly received program that used animated figures to help people navigate Windows. More recently, he founded Stanford's Communication Between Humans and Interactive Media Lab and was co-director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford.
The university says that the goal of the center, which receives financing from major automakers, is "to radically re-envision the automobile for unprecedented levels of safety, performance, sustainability and enjoyment."
Dr. Nass's son, from a marriage that ended in divorce, is his only immediate survivor.
Dr. Nass was also the co-author of "Wired for Speech: How Voice Activates and Advances the Human-Computer Relationship" (2005) and "The Man Who Lied to His Laptop: What Machines Teach Us About Human Relationships" (2010).
Dr. Nass found that people who multitasked less frequently were actually better at it than those who did it frequently. He argued that heavy multitasking shortened attention spans and the ability to concentrate.
At Stanford, he was an adviser in a residential dorm and sometimes held "face to face" days there, requiring students to talk to one another without any technological device or interruption. Many found it difficult.
Dr. Nass, on the other hand, was at ease speaking to people in person and in explaining his academic work in compelling terms. His recent work asked whether increasing use of media and social media eroded social and emotional development. He argued that it did.
"The moral of this story here is really clear," he said in a talk at Stanford this year. "We've got to make face-to-face time sacred, and we have to bring back the saying we used to hear all the time, and now never hear, 'Look at me when I talk to you.' "


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Over at Minor League Ball, John Sickels interviewed Athletics GM Billy Beane, and this little nugget really caught my eye:
SICKELS: With the basic agreement up for negotiation as we approach 2012, what do you think of the idea of trading draft picks?
BEANE: I think it would be a great idea. I have always been in favor of that, it would create more interest in the draft for the fans, and as a GM anything that improves my flexibility is a good thing.
SICKELS: Will it happen? It always gets talked about but it never gets implemented.
BEANE: Well, I can't say for sure obviously, we'll have to see what gets negotiated. I would say that it is a better than 50/50 chance, but it is not guaranteed. We'll just have to see.
This really caught my attention, as it is something that happens in both the NFL and NBA right now, and is another asset that allows for the movement of players. When you think about it, amateur draft picks are the only commodity in baseball that cannot be traded for something else.
The example I heard mentioned on the Baseball Prospectus Podcast was this: What if the Nationals had decided that they did not want to meet the demands of Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg in either of the last two years? Undoubtedly, there would have been a team that would have been willing to meet those demands if the Nationals had not, and as such this pick has trade value. Would the Nationals have been better if they had, say, traded the rights to the #1 overall pick (Bryce Harper) to the Yankees for a package of Jesus Montero and another top-10 prospect? I'm inclined to believe that both teams would have benefitted from this.
I could see using future draft picks as another commodity in the same way that the minor leagues are used now. Would the Mariners have wanted instead of some of the secondary players in the Cliff Lee trade, instead they received Justin Smoak and the Rangers' 1st round pick in 2011?
The biggest concern to me would be that there probably would need to be a limitation on how far into the draft (rounds deep) and how many years in advance a team could trade, but I think that this bears consideration. Even if the owners are able to get a hard slotting system for the draft, there could still be a lot of value in the ability to trade picks, as teams may not want to take players at certain picks and "move down" like seems to happen in the NFL a lot.

subset: commoncrawl


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Along with doubtless thousands of others, an email arrived today telling me there would be no skiing, partying, or gushing of non-existent money spent by me to attend the upcoming Sundance Festival.
Not with Coming to Terms, nor, advised 3 further letters, with The Narcissus Flowers of Katsura-shima, nor Trinity, nor the short, Stand.
Dear Jon,
On behalf of the Sundance Programming staff, I would like to thank you for submitting your film to us for 2013 Sundance Film Festival consideration. Unfortunately, we were unable to include it in our Festival program this year. For the first time in our history, we received more than 12,000 submissions (12,146 to be exact), so deciding on a final program was more difficult than ever. We selected 170 films from around the world (1.4% of the total films submitted to us), and it goes without saying that we viewed far more worthy films than we had room for in our program. Please know that your film was carefully considered by our team, and we truly respect your hard work and dedication as an independent filmmaker. We wish you the best of luck with your project and hope you will give us the opportunity to view your work in the future.
John Cooper
Director, Sundance Film Festival
I can't really say this came as a surprise to me, but since I got a waiver from the stiff entry fee, I thought it worth about $10 in DVDs and postage to roll the dice. In my cynical opinion it would have been very nice to go… to ski. On the other hand though I'd read that it was the intention of the festival to shift a bit more toward the so-called indie world of adventurousness, etc., I kind of figured this was within the brackets which seem to define such things in the USA – mostly rather conventional filmmaking perhaps spiced with some literary/narrative topical kink. So I didn't really think Sundance would be inviting my work – none of the things I sent quite fills that kind of bill.
So, no skiing for me this winter unless some quirk finds me invited somewhere else – I could go up on Mt Hood I suppose.
Meantime, sending entry forms to Yamagata, off next year in autumn, and Jeonju, this coming spring. And DVDs were already sent to Rotterdam and they confirmed, after a bit of a wait, finding them somewhere in the avalanche of other films which our brave new digital world has begotten. So we'll see if the Dutch will be interested. Thus far The Narcissus Flowers of Katsura-shima has accrued Dear Jo(h)n letters from Venice, Toronto, the Florence Festivale dei Popoli, the Margaret Mead conclave in New York and there must be another one or two as well. Working on those films for (n)one. [Update, early December: Rotterdam also said no.]
Postscript: Rummaging around in my computer files I bumped into this, written for Chris Fujiwara at his request, and then posted in FIPRESCI journal. Chris is now director of the Edinburgh Festival.
The Big Circus
By Jon Jost
I guess I'm now an old-timer for the festival world. I've been going to them since 1977 I think. Berlin and Edinburgh, Deauville and Taormina. Way back then there were only a dozen or so festivals worth the name, each with its own characteristic value. Today there seems to be a festival for every day in the year, a grand "International Film Festival" of whatever obscure place you can imagine, for whatever genre and taste.
When I first went to festivals there was a practical purpose to it: festivals would get you exposure, they would provide a springboard to make a sale, for those with more commercial work it was a form of advertising. Some of this still holds true in Cannes, and perhaps a few more places. But in reality those functions have stopped. For commercial films, festivals are now a marginal matter, a little icing on the PR cake; but for non-commercial films they are almost the only matter.
Way back then there were arthouses, and little boutique (they didn't use the word back then) distributors to serve them. Now there are virtually no arthouses and no such distributors. What once existed as a market, however small, no longer exists.
Instead what exists is an exhibition system that doesn't pay, or in reality requires the producer/artist to pay. Most festivals require a submission fee and in effect work as a vanity press combined with Lotto. You pay to roll the cultural dice and if you win, your film gets shown at your expense. Those who can play this game – art films are still made, but they are made in the cultures which subsidize these films in the name of making their culture known on a global scale – are those able to pony up the entrance fee, make prints, crank out a bit of promo material, and exhibit at festivals. In general that's it unless the film is basically commercial in quality, and has some effective hook – a star, a star director, a good genre story – that lets it escape the festival zoo and find a broader public. Few and far between.
So festivals have changed from being one step toward an audience to being the audience, and hence they have become a kind of cinematic ghetto, where a certain kind of film obtains a fleeting life – a page or less in a catalog, an audience of twenty or 2000, perhaps a festival circuit shooting-star life of another ten lesser festivals, and then a year later, oblivion.
The blame for this can be attributed to a number of things, the main one being the victory of Market Economy Capitalism (otherwise known as globalism), in which the primary measure of value is money, the more the merrier. According to this system there really are no other values. Crammed down the world's throat by the IMF, World Bank, and other American-controlled entities, this has resulted in the jettisoning of any cultural values that don't equate to the maximum profit. Another likely cause is the organic nature of culture, that it grows and dies like any living thing. Cinema seems peculiarly transitory this way, just as the flicker of 24 fps of light is, with cinema cultures flourishing briefly – Italy, France, Germany, Portugal – and then quickly falling into decadence. Currently the most vital cinematic cultures seem to be in Asia, particularly the Philippines and Southeast Asia, and some places in South America. In this floating world of cinematic flashpoints, it is natural that festivals flare and fade in synchronicity with the cinematic cultures which surround them. Where once Italy had a vital film culture, Venice played a second fiddle to the grand old lady of Cannes. Now Venice is a glitzy momentary blip on the festival calendar, forgotten the week it concludes. Cannes has a half-life slightly longer, but not much.
Ironically, being one of the few places where one can see serious, non-commercial cinema, festivals are utterly mis-tuned for such work. Festivals are circuses, places of non-stop partying and low attention spans, with a plethora of too many films to be seen; places where a film is sized up in minutes, and abandoned if it hasn't hooked – after all there's another one starting in ten minutes 100 meters down the street. Lots of serious cinema doesn't work that way. And then serious cinema, like any serious art, requires attention, concentration, and time to absorb after the fact. Festivals are the opposite, a massive flush of films, one after the other, simultaneously, each shouting for attention, with no time for reflection. If this sounds like the jaundiced view of a burned-out festival participant, it is.
And yet, at least for this cultural cycle (I'm privileged to see things in a somewhat long range – if not so long as Manoel de Oliveira), festivals are about all we've got – to show my films, or see those of others in the same predicament. So a few words on one recent one with which I'm now quite familiar – Jeonju.
Located here in Korea in a small city a bit south-central on the peninsula, I've been to it since its inception in 2000. First time out it was a beautifully organized festival with a swarm of ever helpful student volunteers, who kept inquiring, "Are we doing good enough?" Their anxiety betrayed a provincial sense of inferiority that was utterly unwarranted. Even in their first year they had a very good selection of films, real audiences, and ran circles around the organization of a lot of festivals I'd been to. Since then Jeonju has blossomed into a really impressive festival, with consistently high audience levels for a range of interesting filmmaking from around the globe, with retrospectives accorded to the likes of Béla Tarr and Jerzy Skolomowski, Alexander Kluge and Pedro Costa. Naturally, Jeonju has become a beacon for Asian filmmakers, and seems increasingly recognized in the wider world.
In addition, for some years they've sponsored a digital filmmaking project, handing out a very good budget to three filmmakers each year to make a half-hour long film. Putting their money where their mouth is.
Naturally such a gathering brings in a good number of critics, mostly Asian-based, and the festival has provided space for serious discussion from the critical standpoint. In 2009 there were "master classes" by Raymond Bellour on "Trafic and the films of Philippe Grandrieux" and "Chris Marker and Level Five"; by Richard Porton on "WR: Mysteries of the Organism – Anarchist Realism," and by Adrian Martin on "Manny Farber: Creative Criticism."
So while the general picture from the festival world deserves a cynical eye (are some of these festivals I've sent DVDs to and never heard from again merely rackets for making a weird collection of DVDs to crank out locally and sell?) and perhaps from a filmmaker's viewpoint a bit of caution, there remain some bright spots, where film is taken seriously and space is given outside the glittering glamor-struck spotlights of Cannes and Venice and Berlin. Short-lived but lively festivals come and go, and others like Rotterdam and now Jeonju, which have staked their ground and grown, still maintain an integrity which for the most part seems absent elsewhere. And perhaps, before I drop dead, the cultural cycle will roll over and film/video of a certain serious kind will again find a place in the larger world, one that might even offer the hope of making a living! Until then it's a handful of festivals, and in my case, a belated teaching gig.
I note that since the above was written the director of the Jeonju festival was fired, I quit my teaching job, and my work has been rejected by a mess of festivals!


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Below is the text of a motion on the NHS reforms that wasn't accepted for debate by Conference Committee, including two short update paragraphs. Dr. Charles West is appealing this rejection, if you'd like to support this appeal please click here to sign up.
Conference Motion on Heath
A) notes
1) the long-standing support of Liberal Democrats for the basic principles underpinning the National Health services: A high quality, accountable, responsive, accessible, comprehensive service, free at the point of use, funded by general taxation, with resources allocated fairly on the basis of need.
2) the decision of this conference in March 2011, to reassert our support for the implementation of the health policies in the Coalition Programme and to reject certain policies that were not in the Coalition Programme.
B) applauds the success of the Liberal Democrats in Government and in Parliament in obtaining amendments to the legislation and policy, including those which:-
1) increase transparency and accountability of Commissioning Consortia and ensuring they are responsible for the commissioning services for everyone living or visiting that area
2) uphold and promote the NHS constitution
3) rule out competition based on price as first suggested by the last Labour Government
4) modify Monitor's role such that it is no longer an economic regulator charged with promoting competition as an end in itself,
5) recognises the importance of integrating health services and integrating health with social care in the interests of delivering high quality care.
6) the promise of fair financial arrangements to reimburse providers who treat patients with the greatest needs to tackle cherry-picking of patients by new providers;
7) remove the obligation on commissioning consortia to take responsibility for commissioning before they are ready and able.
C) recognises that the Government is itself no longer the universal provider of health services, but that democratic accountability of NHS services requires that the Secretary of State should retain the ultimate legal responsibility for securing the provision of NHS healthcare for the people of England
D) recognises that determining how to spend tax-payers' money on NHS services is a public function, which must be carried out with full transparency, with the minimum of perceived or actual conflicts of interests; and reiterates our call for work which directly underpins commissioning decisions to be carried out using the skills and experience of NHS staff, and not be permitted to be outsourced to private companies.
E) Believes that promoting informed patient choice is desirable but, in the interests of equity, calls for:-
1) any legislative or mandated requirement on commissioners, the NHS CB or the Secretary of State, to enhance choice and competition should be a lower priority than their duty to increase quality and safety, improve fair access to services and reduce health inequalities.
2) patients, if utilising personal health budgets, to be prevented from spending tax-payers money on topping up privately-funded provision or on non-cost-effective treatments
F) endorses the proposition in the Coalition programme that public sector, voluntary sector providers and independent providers should generally be treated equally when services are commissioned or when providers are approved, subject to:-
1) there being a duty on the NHS CB, Consortia, Monitor and on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to carry out their functions in a way that avoids the risk of a transfer of such income or case-load as to undermine the ability of existing providers to provide emergency, complex case and intensive care services and to provide education, training and research and
2) that Monitor's duty to prevent anti-competitive behaviour which is against the interests of patients, is matched by a duty to prevent anti-collaborative behaviour for the same purpose.
X) re-affirms its long-standing support for more local democracy in the NHS and calls for
1. Health and Well-being Boards (HWBs) to have a majority of elected members
2. local authorities exercising their overview and scrutiny function and HWBs to have the power of referral to the Secretary of State
3. commissioning groups to be fully co-terminous with social services local authorities, except where HWBs and local authorities agree otherwise
4. Directors of Public Health to remain independent sources of expert advice
Y) cherishes the fundamental values of the NHS and demands that
1. Commissioning groups are funded solely on the basis of the health needs of the population and the power to pay financial incentives to practitioners as a means of influencing their referral behaviour, is removed
2. the cap on Private patient income by NHS Foundation trusts is retained
3. the facility for transferring NHS assets, including land, to third party providers is removed
G) calls on Liberal Democrat parliamentarians to ensure that the current health reforms do not go beyond the coalition agreement in these areas


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Happy St Patrick's Day!!
Makes 24
For the cupcakes
250ml Guinness
250g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
75g cocoa
400g caster sugar
142ml sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the topping
300g Philadelphia cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml double or whipping cream
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180˚C/fan oven 160˚C. Line 2 muffin tins with muffin paper cases.
Start by pouring the Guinness into a large, wide saucepan and add the butter; heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with eggs and vanilla and then pour in the pan of brown, buttery, beer and finally whisk in the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
Pour the batter into the muffin cases ¾ of the way up and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Leave to cool in the tins for 20 minutes and then cool completely on a cooling rack.
When the cupcakes are cold get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency.
Ice the top of the black cupcakes so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint. Sprinkle with shamrock sprinkles or green glitter or sugar (optional).


text: Ready to finally watch internet television on your PS3? Are you ever! Head over to the console's Network, where firmware update 2.5 has just been released for download. Besides Flash 9 support, the update will also let players take in-game screenshots, view thumbnails of video scenes, voice chat and choose between several power saving options. Also out is PSP firmware 5.0, which allows you access to your account and the PlayStation Store directly from your PSP. [PSX Extreme]


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Water Damage Restoration in Temple is a very difficult task, especially if you are doing everything all by yourself. To avoid the problems and mistakes that could turn up to be a disaster, one should hire a Water Damage Restoration Service Company. If you go in for a company with experienced team of personnel it will be good for you in long run. They have the experience of restoring things from water damage very easily and try to Avoid the Big Losses.
The sooner your call, the lesser your losses will be. Water damage restoration companies especially in Temple and the surrounding areas will also guarantee you that their repair estimates will be accepted by the insurance company which means that you have almost nothing to lose by hiring professionals.
Temple Texas
Water Restoration Companies – Trust an Expert
The Water Damage Restoration Technician test by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification). Water Damage Restoration Technician is a designation that a professional restorer needs to prove that he or she is compiling with the most prevalent standards in the restoration industry. It has become increasingly important for a professional who is performing water damage restoration services to have "WRT" designation. Most companies that hire you require it and insurance companies that hire the companies that provide the service require that their technicians be certified.
Since I first took my class ninteen years ago, the material and the test have evolved greatly. There is a lot more information. The class used to be a two day class, but now it is a three day class. There are also five day classes offered that let you take the WRT/ASD (Applied Structural Drying) together. The newest WRT update was published in April of 2006. It is approved by ANSI (Approved National American Standards).
Important items you should know about the test:
Get the book from your teacher prior to attending the class (if possible). Read a few pages everyday. Usually the highlighted parts in the manual are extremely important to know and will defnitely be seen on your test.
C) All of the above
D) None of the above
(7) What does H.A.T.T an acronym for?
A) Hot, Alveolar, Temperature, Test
B) Hydrostatic, Absorption, Toxicity, Threshold Limit Value
C) Haitian Cotton, Absorption, Textile, Temperature
D) Humidity, Airflow, Temperature, Time
It isn't as easy as you think. If you have taken the carpet cleaning technician test before or the upholstery cleaning technician test before, you should know that unless you have a background in Biology, you will have to study hard to pass this one.
Since I received a deluge of requests from people wanting to know the answers to test for CCT. I thought I would just add a link on the my website with the answers. Visit the Magic Wand Company website below and select the Article tab then WRT Test Answers.
The purpose of the test is to make sure that a technician learns as much as possible to do his/her job well. I would be happy to help you in your endeavor to learn. Whether you need carpet cleaning supplies or restoration supplies or not, you are welcome to contact me.
Things That a Water Damage Restoration Company Can Do for You
Dealing with water damage can be a traumatic experience. You feel a loss of control in your own home! The feeling only gets worse if you have a company come in and rip apart your walls, carpet, furniture, and rummage through your personal items! After dealing with all this aggravation and more, you get "rewarded" with a bill for $1,000's!
This does not have to be your experience with water damage.
You already have the ability to clean up your own water damage, you just need the know-how! Below is a step-by-step skeleton of what the actions you should take in remediating your own water damage.
Ensure Your Furniture is Safe- Check for structural damage and if water affected absorbent areas.
Drying Equipment- You will need to use air movers, fans, and dehumidifiers after you finish the demolition and restoration process. These pieces of equipment will allow your home to dry properly.
Deal with Insurance Companies- After you remediate your water damage, you will have to deal with your insurance company and make sure the insurance company pays you the money you deserve!
Getting Water Damage Invoices Past Insurance Adjusters
Water is indeed very beautiful. We have glorious waterfalls, rivers and even oceans. However, water can cause a lot of damage to the home. Flooding and water leaks can impact the home negatively. Water seeps through the home and finds all those precious places to affect. If you are ever faced with water damage, you totally understand the stress and anxiety that comes with it. However, there are companies that have been set up so as to offer you the much needed help should water damage occur in your property. The water damage restoration companies have come as a great aid to all who need it most.
Here are some of the things you may expect
Timeliness: the best companies understand that time is of the essence. The longer water sits, the worse the damage becomes. Water damage needs to be addressed as soon as it arises to avoid any unnecessary damage. If the damage gets too bad, your insurer may decline the claim.
When all areas are removed successfully, most companies will use some very high powered fans so as to start the process of drying. Dehumidifiers can be used to draw that moisture still lingering in the air. In some cases, barrier containment can be used so as to restrict access to certain areas or to create some airflow in a very specific way.
The testing of air quality: this is another very important service that the companies can offer. Usually, the air may have a contaminant such as mold. There are different types of contaminants that can be in the air and some pose more danger than others. Usually, the company tasks an air sample in and out of the home. The differences in the air can then be identified and proper action taken.
For More Information on Dishwasher Flooding
Trusted Dishwasher Flooding near Temple


text:
Moody's Microblog Daily Digest 140129 - http://bit.ly/1n0RtFK yesterday's tweets as a single Web page #MMDD
Obama initiatives on trade run into resistance from both sides in Senate - http://wapo.st/1a340Ib growing problems for #fasttrack #TPP
Obama's 'State of the Union' downplays #TPP - http://bit.ly/1b7Esb4 "time to suspend the negotiations"
Twitter parody accounts critical of UK government closed down on same day #gagginglaw passes - http://bit.ly/1eyUhoX wake up, people
A New Twist On Steganography From The Creator Of BitTorrent - http://bit.ly/1foZFyO clever stuff #privacy
#Tafta/#TTIP and #TPP in comparison: similar interests, unkown outcomes - http://bit.ly/1a3aI0M all part of the grand plan
European Commission makes mockery of Sustainability Impact Assessment of #TTIP - http://bit.ly/1id1ZcC (v @BartStaes @olivierhoedeman)
Key 3D printing patent expired yesterday - http://bit.ly/1bAxeJJ shows how patents block innovation, not promote it
One year after 'horsegate' nothing has changed, consumer group says - http://bit.ly/1hQnaR6 entire supply chain must be #opendata
We – and that includes you – must preserve #NetNeutrality - http://bit.ly/1n0UJ41 he's right, of course
Counting on the American Public to Be Informed on the #TAFTA/#TTIP Talks? Don't Hold Your Breath - http://bit.ly/1a3aI0M big problem
good to see people making comments on UK gov's proposal to use #HTML & #ODF - http://bit.ly/1gt8Tx1 why not add yours? #openstandards
For #NSA, espionage was a means to strengthen the US position in climate negotiations - http://bit.ly/1id834U just against terrorism, eh?
as @bitsoffreedom points out, given this spying on climate negotiations, who seriously believes #NSA not spying on #TAFTA/#TTIP negotiators?
#Ukraine's president Yanukovych takes sick leave amid calls for resignation - http://bit.ly/1aJGMYm right; so who's handling the crisis?
Boris Johnson tells police to 'get medieval' on rioters - http://bit.ly/1d9NmBN what an arrogant, narcissistic yob he is... (v @aral)
EU Chief wants to block 'undesirable' content on Web - http://bit.ly/MyOKZu "undesirable"??? just shameless (v @kenanmalik)#policestate
Parts of England see wettest January since records began - http://bit.ly/1fzordU so when is #paterson resigning over cutbacks to defences?
"adds weight to rumours Barroso willing to let FQD go for" #TAFTA/#TTIP - http://bit.ly/1iPgHcJ shameful, if true (v @CETAWatch)#tarsands
"Saint Teresa was a favourite of General Franco, who kept her hand by his bed until his death." - http://bit.ly/1fjK82A uh-huh #spain
Foundations Band Together to Get Rid of Fossil-Fuel Investments - http://nyti.ms/1fjNOl5 anyone investing in fossils is going to lose big...
Eric Holder Should Condemn James Clapper Calling Journalists 'Accomplices' - http://bit.ly/1ba72pc too right
#India's Central Monitoring System (CMS): Something to Worry About? - http://bit.ly/1iPptaN you bet: detailed and disturbing (v @ioerror)
Dredging rivers won't stop floods. It will make them worse - http://bit.ly/LdVR87 as with badger cull, UK gov does exactly the wrong thing
"They are effectively turning the Data Protection Act on its head" - http://bit.ly/1fk36Gw using DPA to chill investigative journalism
UK Cabinet Office Signals Move Towards Open Source Office Suites - http://bit.ly/1iQvYde good analysis of what latest move might mean
James Clapper Still Trying To Distance Intelligence Community From The Bogus 'Foiled Plots' Metric He Came Up With - http://bit.ly/1n1EWBO
Snowden revelations of NSA spying on Copenhagen climate talks spark anger - http://bit.ly/1ebdt1l as will spying on #TAFTA/#TTIP afterwards
Why Europe needs the "Pirate Party"! - http://bit.ly/1guGdDX because they are not like other parties... #dataprotection #copyright
Wyden And Udall Hint Strongly At CIA Hacking Into Americans' Computers - http://bit.ly/1cA6ptc rule #1: Wyden's questions are the answer
"hardly a crime drama not solved without data of a mobile communications device" - http://bit.ly/1hT1weX cameron such a mental lightweight
"Maskerade" is such a fine post wine o'clock opera. that is all.
Inter-Continental Day of Action against the #TPP & Corporate Globalization - http://on.fb.me/MAQjGe things are hotting up...
Alex Neil: No chance of privatised #NHS on my watch - http://bit.ly/1nrCzLN is #scotland can do it, why not england?
This is the First-Ever Weather Map of a Brown Dwarf - http://bit.ly/MARsO2 just amazing. why can't we spend trillions on this, not wars?
Transport secretary blocks #HS2 report - http://bit.ly/Lfdq7F doesn't really matter, does it, since we know for sure what it said...
I didn't have any strong views on #HS2, but the fact UK gov daren't release its own report tells me all I need to know: I'm against now
Physicists create synthetic magnetic #monopole predicted more than 80 years ago - http://bit.ly/1iQEJ7a more sciency wonderfulness
Wie die Konservativen im Europaparlament den Überwachungsbericht torpedieren - http://bit.ly/1flXA66 what a waste of skin they are
Turkish Government Says Online Freedom Is Like Violence Against Women - http://bit.ly/MlXCRv I don't even... #turkey
Is Fast-Track Trade Promotion Authority for the #TPP Dead? - http://bit.ly/1bb5Fqd certainly not, but it's beginning to look v poorly...
#IE Drops To Single-Digit Market Share - http://bit.ly/1ebnDPw remember: #mozilla's #firefox did this...(with a little help from #Chrome)
Judge Understands BitTorrent, Kills Mass Piracy Lawsuits - http://bit.ly/1guSyrN as judges become tech-savvy, the tide beings to turn
#Transparency in EU policy making: a modest proposal - http://bit.ly/1fBalZs sounds good to me
Welcome to Academic Torrents! - http://bit.ly/MlZZDU "Currently making 207.87GB of research data available." cool idea. (v @TeaWithCarl)
#Opensource push 'could save taxpayer millions' - http://bit.ly/1a4FqXk great to see this in the @dailytelegraph
Say No to Internet Censorship (in #TPP) - http://bit.ly/1fmmNNS now up to 135K signatures... #epetition
Flooding experts say Britain will have to adapt to #climatechange - http://bit.ly/1cAwisV "You are going to lose the battle one dark night"
Parliament defies EU states on aviation emissions law - http://bit.ly/1kfHpJu good for them


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Wheel Truing – from Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs
You can find the craziest bits of information in the strangest places. There is no question that the late Sheldon Brown's website is the go-to site for bicycle technical information on the internet. However, clearly there are other repositories of cycling wisdom out there too. What I didn't expect was to find an extremely articulate article on wheel truing posted to – get this – the Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories website. No kidding… If the internet is great for only one thing, it is trails of breadcrumbs just like this.


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EU court cuts #Microsoft antitrust fine slightly - http://reut.rs/OuSvhH still 860 million euros (v @carlopiana)#interoperability
[RT] EU Parlamentarian Gallo: #ACTA Dissent 'A Soft Form Of #Terrorism' -http://bit.ly/KKOoeR this was inevitable
Olympic Social Media Guidelines Muzzle Athletes - http://rww.to/LOdyVS#london2012 as risible as ever
3D Maps Of Tube Stations - http://bit.ly/KM9d9G nice, if slightly disconcerting#london
CIA fake vaccine program will have wide-ranging effects on health of Pakistani children - http://bit.ly/OuWBq1 appallingly cynical
BIS Committee report on #Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property -http://bit.ly/KCSSiV interesting comments (v @tom_watson)#copyright
Using the #TPP to Renegotiate and Expand #NAFTA - http://bit.ly/OuYkvr the treaty ratchet at work
#ACTA on its last legs? - http://bit.ly/MT7pe4 parliamentary report "recommending that #australia not ratify" ACTA
Bravo, Germany! - http://bit.ly/LOeQjT "fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents"
Band Explains Why It Loves When Fans Download Unauthorized Copies Of Its Music - http://bit.ly/NLSNhz obvious, really
Apple Wins Injunction Against Samsung's Galaxy Tab - http://dthin.gs/MT8D9aabsurd
Klage gegen Musikpiraten: Gema will echte Namen oder Geld -http://bit.ly/LOfopT can't imagine why #GEMA hates #cc licensing...
Student Fined 4 Providing Free Film & TV Subtitles; Another Business Opportunity Thrown Away By #Copyright Industries - http://bit.ly/NLVdgc
Germany's Friesland mulls using Pirate's #opensource decision-making tool -http://bit.ly/LfHBGT v interesting move #de
File sharing is no different from Jimmy Carr's clever accounting -http://ind.pn/MphWPK what a farrago of claims that were debunked long ago
Google Is To Pink Slime As Apples Are To Airplanes - http://bit.ly/MWzxtl the demonisation of #google plumbs new depths #copyright
Stop Software Patents in Europe - http://bit.ly/MpydnA they're coming (again): pl. help fight them #swpats
Want Skype on your mobile phone? Swedes will have to pay -http://bit.ly/LQjvDs #netneutrality, what's that?
RT @BBCPolitics @julianhuppert Blair: I'd like to return as PMhttp://bbc.in/LQzLUV >>delusional or what?
Leonard Bernstein the Composer: Complete Chronological Catalogue on Spotify - http://bit.ly/MABJL2 really underrated as a composer
Confirmed: NY Times Is Launching A Site In #China Tomorrow, With No Paywall - http://tcrn.ch/Oy7Aix all major newspapers will do this
Filesharing site owner found guilty in Newcastle as penalties for sites get serious - http://tnw.co/M5mR8U "not hosting illegal material"
Letter from Over 130 US Politicians to USTR Seeking for Greater Transparency in the #TPP - http://bit.ly/OutpOB great move (v @eff @mgeist)
Just Because A Banana Can Be Used To Rob A Bank, It Doesn't Mean We Ban Bananas - http://bit.ly/MUosfB no, that would be, er, bananas...
One reason for Nexus Q's high price: "Manufactured in U.S.A." -http://bit.ly/MxjnJH a straw in the wind?


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Real people living real lives, among us. Real friends and neighbors and co-workers and relatives and fellow churchgoers, who pay their taxes and go to work and just live.
Higher Law (noun) 1. an ethical or religious principle considered as taking precedence over the laws of society, and to which one may appeal in order to justify disobedience to a constitution or enacted law with which it conflicts — Dictionary.com
They are "illegal aliens." They are "undocumented immigrants." The descriptions we use about these people reflect how we frame this issue, especially since the election. First some facts, taken from a report by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, April 2017.
Eleven million women, men and children live in the United States without the protections of U.S. citizenship or the law and make up 3.4 percent of the U.S. population. Eight million, 5 percent, work or are seeking work and make up 26 percent of all farm workers and 15 percent of all construction workers. Six states claim 59 percent of this community: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois. Sixty-six percent of the adults in this group have lived in the United States for a decade or more. Eight-hundred thousand came here as children, through no choice of their own.
Those are the facts, the numbers, and the statistics, a good starting point to ask: what are we as a nation, citizens and neighbors to do, or not do, about this reality?
I've been conflicted about this for a long time, for I consider myself a law-and-order person, a believer in the rule of law. At their best, human laws curb the worst of human behavior, protect our society, and give us a mutually agreed upon social compact to live in peace and safety. As their best, laws ensure a level playing field: we play by the same rules. If someone breaks the law, they should face the consequences and be held accountable. In the case of illegal immigration then, this view would advocate the immediate deportation of every last one of the 11,000,000 people who are here, in violation of the law.
Facts. Human law.
But this issue is about people, too. Flesh-and-blood people, fellow children of God, most filled with dreams and hopes and ambitions as noble and good as mine. Real people living real lives, among us. Real friends and neighbors and co-workers and relatives and fellow churchgoers, who pay their taxes and go to work and just live. Real people: kids who sit in the classroom side by side with our children and then come by for a play date. Real people who take care of our aging parents in the nursing home and play soccer with us on the field. Real people who study at college and harvest our food, who build our homes and drive our school buses, who watch over our children and create beautiful art and music. Real people whose cultures enrich so deeply our American story.
Real people. A higher law.
Like all people of faith, I'm challenged to live not just by human laws, but by God's laws, too. I'm taught there are moral and ethical laws about how I am to treat the "alien." "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong … you shall love him as yourself…" (Leviticus 19:33-34). And, "[For] I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matthew 25:34). (An important caveat: good folks of faith disagree on the immigration issue, as do so many citizens. I speak for myself.)
So there's the struggle: a tension between human law and divine law, human justice and heavenly mercy, secular logic and humanistic impulses. We each face this internal conflicts at some point and not just about immigration. On many social issues, we have to make choices. Where do we stand? What do we believe? About abortion, the death penalty, war, and universal health care, to name but a few.
To make these choices is among the most difficult and important work we do as humans. There will always be leaders and firebrands on both sides who act as if such choices are easy or simple. They take a stand to win more votes or whip up a frenzied crowd or get more people to watch their TV show and or just pound the pulpit. Self-righteousness trumps thoughtfulness. Toughness triumphs over mercy.
Yet to be a person of faith, just to try and be a good person, is tough stuff. It demands a willingness to hear all sides, a commitment to pray and think on it, and always with care. Human law? A higher law? After much discernment, I've made my choice.
What do you think? Have you made your choice about the alien among us, the stranger, the illegal immigrant, the undocumented worker? There are eleven million real people living among us. It's about facts and the law. It's about people too.
Real people. I hope to God we remember this.
The Rev. John F. Hudson is senior pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn (pilgrimsherborn.org). If you have a word or idea you'd like defined in a future column or have comments, please send them to email@example.com or in care of the Dover-Sherborn Press (firstname.lastname@example.com).


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Since 2004, glaciologist William Pfeffer has been photographing Alaska's Columbia Glacier. By monitoring where the glacier ends and the waters of Prince William Sound begin, Pfeffer is working to understand how coastal ice sheets contribute to rising ocean levels. Now, by piecing his photographs together, Pfeffer has produced this remarkable video documenting the glacier's rapid retreat.
This massive ice sheet has surrendered roughly 150 cubic kilometres of ice to the sea since it started receding in the early 1980s. One hundred fifty cubic kilometers! Imagine an ice cube measuring 3.3 miles along each edge. That's about how much ice we're talking about. In that time, researchers estimate that the glacier's terminus has retreated by about 20 kilometers.
Pfeffer's video visualizes this loss in a way that daily observation simply can't touch, and helps illustrate important information about the near-term effects of glacial melt on rising sea-levels.
"Seventy-six percent of the glacial mass of sea-level rise is coming from Arctic North America," explains glaciologist Martin Sharp to Nature News. "The Arctic is now the largest contributor to sea-level rise outside of the two largest ice sheets [The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets]." [Nature]


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The holiday season can be a minefield for those who battle with weight issues.
At a November support group for surgical weight loss patients — and those considering the surgery — Debra Vaccaro, a dietitian and registered nurse, gave a brief presentation on "How to Eat Healthy around the Holidays" at the Center for Weight Loss Success in Newport News.
She invited the 18 or so participants to be mindful when eating. She urged them not to multi-task, but to remove all distractions, including the TV, phone and computer, and to focus entirely on the food. To practice mindfulness, she had them take a piece of a nutrition bar, examine it, smell it and then place a piece on the tongue to savor the taste. Then she advised pausing between bites and reminded them that it takes 20 minutes for the body to determine that it's satisfied.
Using strategies such as this can result in eating at least one-third less and making food more enjoyable, she said. Vaccaro advised applying similar strategies to other everyday activities, such as walking, allowing time to cultivate awareness and take in one's surroundings.
For the holidays, she urged her audience to have "a coping plan." One strategy is to make a list of every reason why you want to lose weight, and read it to yourself every morning. When you're tempted to eat something you hadn't planned, then read the list again, she said. She recommended the book, "The Beck Diet Solution," by Judith Beck, for self-help tips.
For each event, individuals need to have a plan in advance, she advised. They should prioritize, limiting themselves to the three foods they love the most, pre-determining how many courses they'll try, and then limiting portions at each course. "The key is to put parameters on how much you will consume," she said.
Vaccaro brought up the subject of "food-pushers," those who try to guilt guests into trying a pie or taking an extra helping to show appreciation. She urged firm rejection: "Just say 'no' over and over again. You are protecting your good health."
Participants chimed in with their own suggestions. "Change your recipes. No one will notice," suggested one, who now makes her still-popular mac-and-cheese with skim milk, whole-wheat pasta and low-fat cheese. Others suggested substitutions, such as pureed cauliflower, whey protein and applesauce in place of less healthy carbs and fats. One noted that her revamped stuffing recipe, made with turkey sausage, mushrooms, sage, celery and onions was a huge hit with her work colleagues. "Nobody even noticed that there was no bread," she said.
For those who've had bariatric surgery, it's important to maintain intake of essential nutrients and ensure their effective absorption. The recommended ratio of protein to carbohydrates is 2:1, surgeon Dr. Thomas Clark told the group. He explained how much protein a body needs for weight maintenance and that men, and those doing intense workouts, need more. He also distinguished between simple proteins, such as whey, which are rapidly absorbed, and the more complex proteins in meat that the body takes longer to digest but uses more effectively. "It's not what you take in, it's what your body does with it," he said.


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Second Opinion
This story appears in the June 1998 issue of . Subscribe »
Need an expert's advice to identify your target market? Trim your operating budget? Or figure out how your small business stacks up against the competition?
Hire a consultant. The right outside specialist can give you an unbiased view of your business, identify problem areas and recommend strategies to keep your business on track. You can hire a consultant for almost any business need, from accounting, management and marketing to better business writing and even phone etiquette.
Consultants can be cost-effective. You call a consultant only when you need one and get expert advice without adding to your payroll. Here's a seven-point strategy to ensure you get the most from a consultant.
1. Understand a consultant's role. A consultant is an advisor, not a miracle worker. If your marketing campaign hasn't increased sales for the past six months, don't expect a consultant to turn business around overnight. If someone promises to do so, be skeptical. You want a consultant who is knowledgeable in your industry or field and can offer a workable solution, not a quick fix.
"Look for someone who's been making a living as a full-time consultant for at least five years," suggests Kent Burnes, a business consultant and owner of Burnes Consulting in Grass Valley, California. "The only thing a consultant can sell is knowledge. If he or she is working full time and has kept up on changes and new information in the field or industry, he or she will be of value to you."
2. Identify your needs. Determine what you want to accomplish, quantify it and write it down. The more specific you are, the better. You could simply tell your consultant you're not pleased with the results of your marketing campaign. But asking how you can increase sales by 10 percent or more this year will give a clearer picture of what you want to accomplish.
3. Know what you'll commit. Be prepared to tell a consultant what resources you can provide to help him or her do the job. Consider background materials on your business, plus any office equipment, space, supplies or employees you can make available.
You'll save your consultant time--and yourself money--if you do some research first. "If someone wants information on [their] firm's customer base," says Burnes, "it helps if [they] come to me with customer surveys, demographic studies or other data. With the right information, I can analyze the situation quickly. It's likely I could make a recommendation in a half-day rather than a week. This, of course, is more economical for the client."
4. Establish fees upfront. Some consultants charge flat rates or bill by the hour, the day or the project. Others charge a contingency fee, in which the amount paid is based on the results. For instance, if a consultant reduces your operating expenses by $10,000, he might receive 10 percent of the savings as his total fee or as a bonus in addition to his flat rate.
The average full-time consultant, says Burnes, charges $95 to $150 per hour. Some charge much less. "You get what you pay for," he says.
5. Develop a list of questions. Interview a prospective consultant before you hire him or her. Questions to ask include: "What is your experience in my industry or field? Can you describe problems similar to mine that you've handled? Can you offer me full confidentiality and represent me without conflict of interest with your other clients?"
Find out how often the consultant will communicate with you and if you'll receive periodic progress reports. Ask for a written proposal spelling out how he or she plans to approach your problem, the time needed and the fee you'll be charged.
As you evaluate a consultant's experience and skills, consider your working relationship. Do you like and trust the person? Do you have a good rapport with him or her?
6. Check references. Ask a prospective consultant for three recent references--and call them. You want to know if the consultant accomplished what was promised, if he or she communicated regularly and if the company would hire the consultant again. "Don't rely on letters of recommendation. They don't tell the whole story," says Burnes. "Ask for the names of past clients who run businesses similar to yours."
7. Put it in writing. Prepare a written agreement that clearly spells out the terms of your arrangement. Define the services to be performed, the starting and ending dates, the fee and how it will be paid, expenses you agree to pay, and services you will provide. Have your attorney review and approve the agreement.
Carla Goodman is a freelance writer in Sacramento, California.
For more information on hiring a consultant, check out these resources:
- The Institute of Management Consultants maintains a free referral service for certified management consultants who've completed the Institute's professional accreditation program, completed an ethics exam, signed a code-of-ethics agreement and undergone a screening process. Contact the Institute at 521 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10175, (212) 697-8262 or http://www.imcusa.org
- The Association of Management Consulting Firms provides a free referral service, categorized by industry and specialty, to help businesses of all sizes select consulting firms. Call (212) 455-8231 or visit http://www.amcf.org
- You can also find consultants through trade associations in a particular industry. The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) can refer you to these trade groups. Write to the ASAE at 15175 I St. N.W., Washington, DC 20005 or call (202) 626-2793.
- Another great resource is the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). This organization of some 12,400 retired business owners and executives provides free consulting for small businesses. Call (800) 634-0245 or visit http://www.score.org
Can You Manage?
Sooner or later, you're going to need help running your business. Good news: You can find that help without going to the expense of hiring permanent, full-time workers.
For starters, consider hiring an intern--a high school or college student who will work for little or no pay in exchange for valuable work experience. You'll need to identify specific projects for the intern and guarantee you can spend the time necessary to train the individual and evaluate his or her work, because most students take internships for school credit.
After you draw up a detailed description of your internship, promote it at the career placement center at your local high school or college. The National Society for Experiential Education in Raleigh, North Carolina, provides information on starting internship programs; call (919) 787-3263, ext. 21.
Local high schools and community colleges are also good sources of inexpensive part-time workers, but you'll need to accommodate students' class schedules and be willing to spend time on training. That includes tasks as seemingly simple as answering the phone and taking messages.
Senior citizens can bring a wealth of experience to the job and often prefer to work part time. Check with senior centers in your community and your local branch of the federal Office for the Aging (listed in the government pages of your phone book).
If you need individuals with special skills--but you don't need full-time help--independent contractors might be just the solution you're looking for. A one-person advertising agency, for example, might not need a full-time graphic artist or photographer. Instead, the agency owner could use independent contractors for photography, design and artwork needs.
If your business relies on skilled work, consider starting your own work apprentice program. It will mix practical classroom instruction with a year or more of on-the-job training. You'll be working with entry-level talent you can train and eventually hire full time as your business grows. Jobs for the Future can help set up and evaluate your apprenticeship program; call (617) 742-5995.
Contact Source
Burnes Consulting, (530) 346-8188, email@example.com


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{Tribeca Loft Office featuring a Swoon-Worthy Leopard Task Chair}
Jenny Komenda of one of my favorite blogs, Little Green Notebook, has been a blogging buddy of mine for several years now. I've always loved her amazing style, creative and crafting abilities (she posts the most amazing DIY projects), as well as her sweet personality. For some reason, I had never looked at her portfolio even though I read her blog whenever I have time. Last night, I felt compelled to click on the portfolio tab of her blog and was so glad that I did! I was treated to some gorgeous images of her fabulous design work. Jenny is such a mixmaster—old and new, high and low; she juxtaposes unexpected combinations to create her signature eclectic, bohemian style.
{Tribeca Loft Dining Room}
{Brooklyn Heights Living Room}
{Tribeca Loft Living Room}
{Brooklyn Heights Dining Room}
{Images via Jenny Komenda Interiors}


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Guest poem submitted by Vikram Doctor:
(Poem #556) Ballade of the Hanged (Villon's Epitaph)
Brothers that live when we are dead, don't set yourself against us too. If you could pity us instead, then God may sooner pity you. We five or six strung up to view, dangling the flesh we fed so well, are eaten piecemeal, rot and smell. We bones in a fine dust shall fall. No one make that a laugh to tell: pray God may save us one and all. Brothers, if that's the word we said, it's no disparagement to you although in justice we hang dead. Yet all the same you know how few are men of sense in all they do. Pray now we're dead that Jesu's well of grace shall not run dry - nor Hell open in thunder as we fall. We're dead don't harry us as well: pray God may save us one and all. Showered and rinsed with rain, we dead the sun has dried out black and blue. Magpie and crow gouge out each head for eyes and pluck the hair. On view, never at rest a moment of two, winds blow us here or there a spell; more pricked than a tailor's thumb could tell we're needled by the birds. Don't fall then for our brotherhood and cell: pray God may save us one and all. Prince, Lord of Men, oh keep us well beyond the sovereignty of Hell. On him we've no business to call. And, men, it's no joke now I tell: pray God may save us one and all.
tr. Peter Dale. There is no poet quite like Villon, which is why we have to have something by him, though the problem is immediately obvious: Villon does not translate well at all. 'Where are the snows of yesteryear' for 'Ou sont les neiges d'antan' is a fluke; apart from that I've never seen any translation that quite does justice to his tone. And that tone is so unmistakeable, even to someone like me whose French is only passable. Witty, pithy, sad, romantic, vituperative, street-smart, crude and yet refined, it simply reeks from every line of Villon's colourful life. (There's a biographical sketch after this, also the original for those who know some French. It's medieval French, but can still be understood to some extent by speakers of current French). Perhaps it's this legend that colours the reading, but then one has to accept that there are poets whose lives and verse cannot be separated (for some reason it's the French poets like Villon, Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Verlaine who come most immediately to mind, though of course it's also true of Byron, Shelley and others). And of all the poems Villon wrote, none carries more emotional impact than this. Villon was imprisoned and very definitely facing execution when he wrote this, and this expectation hugely fills every syllable of this poem. That cliche of never being more aware of life at the point of death is no cliche here, its what the poem is all about. There is an agonising awareness of life in his precise description of the corpses hung up in the wind and how their bodies rot. And the plea for mercy is agonisingly real too. For all his quarrels with the Church, there is no doubt that Villon was a believer, and that faith - or horror, the two seem to be the same for him - aches through this poem. This is also an example of a poetic form that fits the purpose brilliantly. In English the ballade often seems an artificial form: the fixed rhymes, the strict number of verses and the poet's address to himself or a superior at the end (which always reminds me of the ghazal, the last couplet of which also starts with such an address to someone). In English it seems to work best in comic verse. But not in French. Ballades are among the best poems in French, and in Villon's hand reached a level no one else ever really did. Villon's handling of the technical constraints is so easy and skillful, one almost never becomes aware of them. And in this poem, the address in last quatrain comes in all too appropriately for Villon to beg Jesus for mercy. Vikram. "Ballade des Pendus (L'Epitaphe Villon)" Freres humains qui après nous vivez N'ayez les cuers contre nous endurcis Cas se pitié de nous povres avez Dieu en aura plus tost de vous mercis. Vous nous voiez cy attachez cinq, six. Quant de la chair que trop avons nourrie, Elle est pieça devorée et pourrie, Et nous, les os, devenons cendre et pouldre. De nostre mal personne ne s'en rie Mais priez Dieu que tous nous vueille absouldre. Se freres vous clamons, pas n'en devez Avoir desdaing, quoy que fusmes occis Par justice. Toutesfois, vous sçavez Qua tous hommes n'ont pas bon sens rassis. Excusez nous, puis que sommes transsis, Envers le fils de la Vierge Marie Que sa grace ne soit pour nous tarie Nous sommes mors; ame ne nous harie Mais priez Dieu que tous nous vueille absouldre. La pluye nous a debuez et lavez Et le soleil dessechiez et noircis. Pies, corbeaulx, nous ont les yeux cavez Et arrachié la barbe et les sourcis. Jamais nul temps nous ne sommes assis; Puis ça, puis la, comme le vent varie A son plaisir sans cesser nous charie, Plus becquetez d'oiseaulx que dez a couldre. Ne soiez donc de nostre confrarie Mis priez Dieu que tous nous vueille absouldre. Prince Jesus qui sur tous a maistrie Garde qu'Enfer n'ait de nous seigneurie. A luy n'ayons que faire ne que souldre. Hommes, icy n'a point de mocquerie; Mais priez Dieu que tous nous vueille absouldre. -- Francois Villon [Bio] Francois Villon was born Francois Montcorbier or Francois des Loges in 1431. He took his surname, Villon, from his guardian and benefactor, Guillaume de Villon, chaplain of Saint-Benoît-le-Bétourné, a man of whom he speaks well, in both Le Lais and Le Testament. He took his baccalauréat from the University of Paris in 1449. Around 1451, he was probably involved in a student rag which removed a landmark (le Pet au Diable: The Devil's Fart) from the front of Mademoiselle de Bruyère's house. He himself mentions a poem, Le Roman du Pet au Diable, in Le Testament. However, in 1452, he received his licence and maire ès arts from the University of Paris. His first clash with the law occurred in 1455 when he was involved in a fight with a priest who was killed An eye-witness, admittedly a friend of Villon's, maintains he acted in self-defence. Though pardoned for the murder in 1456, that same year he was implicated in the famous robbery of five hundred golden écus from the College of Navarre. Guy Tabary and Colin de Cayeux are two of his confederates mentioned in Le Testament. In this year he wrote, presumably in some haste, Le Lais. Tabary's confession to the robbery in 1457 made Villon leave Paris and go on the run. Much of the rest of the detail of his life comes from Le Testament, on the assumption that it is truly autobiographical. According to this he was imprisoned, somewhat unjustly or pettily if his mood is anything to judge from, by the Bishop of Orleans in his palace-dungeons at Meung. He was set free to celebrate King Louis IX's progress through the town., In this year he wrote Le Testament in which he speaks of his wanderings and various towns that must have been his itinerary between, say, 1456 and 1461. In 1462, he is again in prison, the Châtelet, charged with robbery of the College of Navarre. He was released quickly on promising to repay the money. The last real fact we have about Villon is his arrest for brawling later in 1462... He had been imprisoned for a minor brawling incident with a papal scribe Ferrebouc who, unluckily, had influence. He was tortured and sentenced to be strangled and hanged... Parliament set aside the sentence, imposing banishment from Paris. -- from Francois Villon: Selected Poems. [EndNote] I forgot to add that the one English poet who Villon reminds me of a bit is John Skelton. Skelton's short, rapid lines, are very different technically, but there is a bit of Villon in his street wise cocky quality. I might be going out on a bit of a limb here, since I just consulted my local Eng. Litt. expert who sort of kindly told me this was a bit far fetched, Villon being part of the courtly love tradition. But reading Le Testament again for this I was struck by how much of it is simply making fun of and abusing random people who seem to have annoyed him, and for some reason it made me think of Skelton. Anyway, the only thing to result from this is the suggestion that we have some Skelton sometime since he's fun and very distinctive. Vikram.


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TriStar Pictures has brought online the Red Band trailer for Evil Dead which you can watch using the player below! Opening in theaters on April 12, the film stars Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas and Elizabeth Blackmore.
In the remake of the 1981 cult-hit horror film, five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.


text: Gum 19 Gum 19 is a star-forming region in the direction of the constellation Vela, 22,000 light-years away. The giant, superhot star V391 Velorum fuels its brightness. Image: ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2Gum 26* *This is not Gum 26 but a nearby region called Gum 29. It's a massive stellar nursery at the edge of the Carina arc, associated with the star cluster Westerlund 2. (The observing target, Gum 26, is a large cloud of ionized gas where star formation occurs.) Image: ESOMedusa Nebula The Medusa Nebula is an old planetary nebula 1,500 lights years away in the constellation Gemini. It has an estimated diameter of four light-years. Image: Wikimedia/Jschulman555Messier 79 Messier 79 is a globular cluster in the hemisphere opposite the Galactic Center, in the constellation Lepus. It is 40,000 light-years away, about 60,000 light-years from the Galactic Center. Image: Wikimedia/CircumferenceofaturtleNGC 1055 NGC 1055 is a spiral galaxy about the same size as the Milky Way. It's located 60 million light-years away, in a small galaxy group in the direction of the constellation Cetus. Image: Bill and Joy Kendall/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSFNGC 1398 NGC 1398 is a large barred spiral galaxy at the southern edge of the Eridanus cluster. It is 65 million light-years away, with a diameter of 135,000 light-years. Image: Sean and Renee Stecker/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSFNGC 1566 NGC 1566 is a spiral galaxy 60 million light-years away in the constellation Dorado. It is a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy which resembles a quasar (but is less energetic). Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Kennicutt (University of Arizona) and the SINGS TeamNGC 1788 NGC 1788 is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. It's about 1,300 light-years away. Image: ESONGC 2035* *This is not the star-forming region NGC 2035 but a similar one in the Large Magellanic Cloud, an irregularly shaped galaxy that orbits the Milky Way. At about 164,000 light-years away, it's the third closest galaxy to our own. Image: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble CollaborationNGC 246 Nicknamed the "Skull Nebula," NGC 246 is a planetary nebula surrounding a dying star. It is 1,600 light-years away, in the constellation Cetus. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)NGC 986 NGC 986 is a southern barred spiral galaxy with a gas-rich center that could fuel starbursts. Its central star-forming region may be in a growing phase. Image: Wikimedia/Fabian RRRRNGC 2217 NGC 2217 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Canis Major ("Great Dog"). Its tight spiral arms form a near-circular ring around its center. Image: ESONGC 2362 NGC 2362 is the "young" 25-million-year-old Tau Canis Majoris star cluster. It contains about 60 stars, at a distance of 5,000 light-years away. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian CfAThor's Helmet Thor's Helmet is a cosmic cloud shaped like a winged helmet. It's a kind of interstellar bubble, formed by wind blowing outward from a giant star at the center of a molecular cloud. Image: Wikimedia/Fabian_RRRRToby Jug Nebula* *This is not the Toby Jug Nebula but a similar reflection nebula called Barnard's Merope Nebula. Reflection nebulas are clouds of dust that reflect the light of nearby stars. (The Toby Jub Nebula is named for its resemblance to the ornamental English drinking mug.) Image: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)If you've ever secretly wished you were an astronomer, now's your chance. To celebrate its 50th anniversary on Oct. 5, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is hosting two competitions for its Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile: one that lets you choose what the telescope observes, and the other, a chance to come to Chile and help with the VLT observations yourself. Normally, astronomers must apply far in advance to use the telescope, and few are selected. For its competition to "Choose What the VLT Observes," ESO has identified an assortment of interesting astronomical objects visible the night of the anniversary, which we have included in this gallery, and you can vote for your top choice. Voters will also be entered in a drawing for prizes. The drawing winner will score an iPad, and 10 runners-up will receive ESO books and other loot. The second competition, "Tweet Your Way to the VLT," asks people to tweet their reasons for wanting to visit the VLT (in official ESO member state languages). The winning tweeter gets an all-expenses-paid trip to Chile to assist with VLT observations of the winning object. The deadline for both competitions is Aug. 31 at 5:59:59 P.M. EST. Above: CG4 CG4 is a cometary globule, a small, isolated cloud of dust and gas with a characteristic head and tail. It lies in the Puppis constellation, 1,300 light-years from here. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/WISE Team


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Rocky mountains, the Great Salt Lake, awe-inspiring Yosemite, Midwestern plains, and a deep, dark cave all mark a great journey ahead for Alt-Grass revolutionist, The Hillbenders. Embarking from their hometown of Springfield, MO, the rapidly emerging stars will travel half the country this Fall on their Half Moon Harvest Tour, reaching Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, California, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Tennessee. The Hillbenders are ready to rock a town near you.
The Hillbenders will quickly find themselves in the shadows of breath-taking Yosemite National Park to perform at the Strawberry Fall Music Festival on September 1. The event is held annually at Camp Mather Labor Day weekend, which boarders the park at an elevation of 4,520 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Situated on 350 acres of mountains, meadows, and pine forest, the festival line up shines as The Hillbenders share the stage with the Del McCoury Band, Peter Rowan's Big Twang Theory, Patty Griffin, The Jerry Douglas Band, and more.
The band's down-time on the west coast will be dedicated to seeing the awe-inspiring sights of Yosemite. "We planned some days off while in CA to have a chance to play around in the park and see the cool sights," Nolan shared. "We love to travel, but so many times you're in and out of an event, and don't get to experience the area. From everything I've heard, the park is amazing! It's great to get back to nature and soak it all in," he said.
The Hillbenders will then head back towards home, making a stop along the way to perform at The Mercury Lounge in Tulsa, OK on September 5. The following day, September 6, the guys pay tribute to their hometown heritage at the 16th Annual Ozarks Celebration Festival held on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield. The festival offers an entertaining and educational look at the region's culture and history. The band will be performing as part of the 'Concert Under The Stars' series, opening for award-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Rhonda Vincent & The Rage.
The Hillbenders momentum continues through September and October with performances spanning the Midwest. Look for them at Mother's Brewery Octoberfest, Melon Days Fall Festival, St. Louis Folk & Roots Festival, RiverStomp Music Festival, and Barefoot Ball at the Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR. They end October back in their hometown of Springfield, MO for a show at the Patton Alley Pub on October 25 before packing up again and heading east for two more big shows.
On November 13, The Hillbenders make a special appearance at The Loveless Café in Nashville, TN to perform on Music City Roots. The weekly, two-hour concert and radio show broadcasts live every Wednesday from 7-9 pm (CST), with a mission of reviving and preserving "the historical legacy of live musical radio." Friends and fans can tune in and view the live video stream from anywhere in the world for this show! Get more information by visiting their web site at www.musiccityroots.com
Finally, they will end their Half Moon Harvest Tour at a one-of-a-kind underground concert hall. On November 16, The Hillbenders debut at Bluegrass Underground with the John Cowan Band. Bluegrass Underground is a radio show recorded live at 333 feet below the earth's crust at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, TN. The show takes place inside the cave in a natural amphitheater called the Volcano Room, carved out by water an estimated 3.5 million years ago. The primordial silence and perpetual darkness give way each month to the sounds of the finest bluegrass music on the planet. Regardless of the temperature outside, visitors can always expect the Volcano Room to be a constant 56 degrees.
"Bluegrass Underground is a bucket list show for me," Nolan said with excitement in his voice. "From the first time I learned about it, I was in love! I said to myself, I have to do that," he continued. But there's even more to add to this memorable appearance. "We also get to share the stage with John Cowan; one of the most recognized vocalists out there," he said. "Can you imagine the two of us singing together? That would be unforgettable."
On the wake of a new album release, Can You Hear Me?, on Compass Records last year, and recently becoming exclusively represented by KCA Artists, The Hillbenders are looking forward to their approaching Half Moon Harvest Tour, which includes many highlights for the guys as they will share the stage with legends and create memories that will last a lifetime. It also presents another opportunity for them to share their high energy, bluegrass-rock fusion music with friends and fans near and far.
"For the past few months, the band has been focusing on business and writing new material," Nolan said. With a renewed understanding of themselves, their relationship, music, and direction, The Hillbenders continue to step up their game and hone their craft to create a memorable experience at every show. "We hope that by the time our set is done, the fans are as sweaty as we are, cuz they can't stop dancing," he said. There will also be new songs being played for those already familiar with the bands catalogue. "You can expect new, exciting tunes to make our set lists throughout the tour," Nolan concluded.
Drawn together by a mutual desire to write and perform original music, the dynamic quintet, Nolan Lawrence on mandolin, Jimmy Rea on acoustic guitar, Chad Graves on dobro, Mark Cassidy on banjo, and Gary Rea on upright bass, combines the traditions of bluegrass with their own diverse influences, creating a unique and captivating sound, unlike any you've heard before. All five members share lead vocals, often incorporating 3 and 4-part harmonies. With tight arrangements, soul-reaching solos, and intricate instrumental parts, The Hillbenders always leave their crowds wanting more.
Learn more about The Hillbenders at www.hillbenders.com.
2013 Half Moon Harvest Tour Dates
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The temperature dropped to 8 degrees this morning at Vance Brand Municipal Airport, breaking the record low of 10 for the date, set in 1953.
The low originally had been reported as 9 degrees, but Times-Call weather consultant Dave Larison said that a six-hour minimum temperature report at noon revealed that the temperature had dropped to 8 degrees. This is the latest in the spring that Longmont's temperature has dropped into single digits in weather records dating to 1910, according to Times-Call weather consultant Dave Larison.
A slow warmup begins today, with partly sunny skies and a high near 35. But it will feel colder than that, with north-northwest winds 6 to 14 mph and gusts as high as 20 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 17, with west winds of 6 to 13 mph and gusts as high as 17 mph.
Friday will be mostly sunny with a high near 48. Friday night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 25.
Saturday will bring a 20 percent chance of showers and a high near 52. Saturday night will have a 10 percent chance of showers before midnight and a low around 27.
Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 55. A chance of rain and snow returns Sunday night, with a low around 30.


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Tom Snee, Office of Strategic Communication, 319-384-0010 (office), 319-541-8434 (cell)
Romney comes back, but Obama still favored by IEM
Romney comes back, but Obama still favored by IEM
Romney comes back, but Obama still favored by IEM
Mitt Romney has been making a comeback on the Iowa Electronic Markets (IEM) in recent weeks, but Barack Obama is still a 2-to-1 favorite to win the popular vote in November.
A contract for Mitt Romney was selling for 34.5 cents on the IEM's Winner Take All market Thursday morning, which means traders believe there is a 34.5 percent probability that he will win. That price is up substantially from the 18.6 cents he was trading at as recently as September 27, an 85 percent increase in price.
Obama, meanwhile, was selling for 66 cents Thursday, which means traders believe there is a 66 percent probability he will win the popular vote. As Romney's price increased in recent weeks, Obama's fell 19 percent from his high of 81.7 cents on Sept. 27.
Most of Romney's recent gains came during a two-week period shortly before and after the first debate on Oct. 3. His price reached as high as 39.2 cents on Oct. 12 before settling back.
Meanwhile, on the Vote Share market, in which traders buy and sell contracts based on what percentage of the two party vote they think each candidate will receive, Obama was selling for 53.9 cents Thursday morning. That means traders believe Obama will receive 53.9 percent of the popular vote between the two candidates.
Romney was selling for 47.4 cents Thursday morning on the Vote Share market.
On the Congressional Control market, traders believe the most likely outcome is the status quo, with a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic Senate. That contract was selling for 68.5 cents Thursday morning.
A contract for a GOP sweep was selling for 18.2 cents, a Democratic sweep for 4.5 cents, and a Democratic House and Republican Senate for less than 1 cent.
The contract for "Other," which represents a situation in which neither party controls one or both chambers of Congress, was trading for 8.4 cents.
A real money futures market operated by the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business tippie.uiowa.edu the IEM gives traders the opportunity to buy and sell contracts based on what they think the outcome of a future event will be. Traders can invest up to $500 in the market.
The latest general election market prices are available at iemweb.biz.uiowa.edu/quotes/Pres12_quotes.html. More information on the IEM—including information on opening a trading account—is available tippie.uiowa.edu/iem/markets/.


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Now available for Dine-in, Take-out and Delivery
Blue Bar
A luxurious high energy patio bar located on the Buffalo Bayou at Brenner's on the Bayou.
Award-Winning Cuisine
Named "Best Steakhouse in Houston" by Zagat, specialties include tender steaks, succulent seafood and more.
Homemade Desserts
Our desserts set us apart, such as a Brenner's classic – Homemade Apple Strudel.


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Newswise — Patients with sickle cell disease rely more on the emergency room as they move from pediatric to adult health care, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
An analysis of Medicaid data of more than 3,200 patients with sickle cell disease shows that emergency room visits tripled from age 15 to age 24. The research is reported Dec. 10 at the American Society of Hematology's annual meeting, in Atlanta.
"There seems to be a breakdown in medical care during the transition from childhood to adulthood," says hematologist Morey A. Blinder, MD, associate professor of medicine. "Not only emergency department usage, but hospitalizations go up during this time as well."
One possible explanation for the increased reliance on emergency care, according to Blinder, is the relative lack of adult health care providers with experience caring for sickle cell patients. Similar issues are arising for other pediatric diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia, which were previously fatal. Over the past few decades, an increasing number of children and teenagers are living into adulthood with these conditions and there often aren't enough primary care physicians who can provide care for these adult patients.
Sickle cell disease refers to a number of inherited genetic conditions that cause the normally round, disk-like red blood cells to take on a characteristic "sickle" shape. These malformed red blood cells do not carry oxygen to the body as well as healthy cells and are prone to clogging smaller blood vessels. The condition is often painful in places the cells block blood flow. Some of the more severe complications include blindness, strokes and pneumonia.
In the study, researchers examined data of 3,200 Medicaid patients with sickle cell disease from the mid 1990s through 2010. The researchers followed patients from five states (Florida, New Jersey, Missouri, Iowa and Kansas) for an average of six years each and included those moving from pediatric to adult care.
The study showed that emergency department visits tripled over nine years, increasing from 0.76 per quarter at age 15 to more than two per quarter at age 24. At age 36, use of emergency care peaked at almost three visits per quarter, or about one per month. Even by age 50, reliance on emergency care did not return to the lower levels seen in childhood.
More emergency care and hospitalizations also result in higher overall medical costs. Total health care costs were more than $7,000 higher per quarter for patients making heavier use of the emergency department, even as they tended to spend less on medication, perhaps simply failing to fill prescriptions.
Blinder says the St. Louis region and Missouri in general have good support for adults with sickle cell disease, though this is not always the case nationally.
"In areas without good adult support for this disease, you have to identify adult physicians who would be interested in treating sickle cell patients," Blinder says. "They could be hematologists or even internists, but in general there are not enough providers for adult sickle cell patients.
"This study highlights an emerging problem in transitioning pediatric age patients to adulthood, and the need to explore new ways to facilitate that process," Blinder says.
The study was funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Blinder is a consultant for Novartis and receives some research support from the company. Several of the study's co-investigators are employed by Novartis.
Blinder MA, Vekeman F, Sasane M, Trahey A, Paley C, Magestro M, Duh MS. Age-related emergency department reliance and healthcare resource utilization in patients with sickle cell disease. Presented Dec. 10, 2012, American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.
Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
MEDIA CONTACTRegister for reporter access to contact details
54th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting


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Administration also objects to proposed USDA salary cuts.
The White House is challenging a move by House Republican appropriators to deny the Agriculture Department any funds in fiscal 2013 for repair and upkeep of its buildings.
When H.R. 5973, the fiscal 2013 agriculture spending bill, cleared the House Appropriations Committee by voice vote on June 19, it contained a sentence saying no funds would be included for the operations and maintenance portion of Agriculture's buildings and facilities account, along with a 35 percent reduction for the departmental administration staff offices.
"The funding levels provided in this appropriations bill continue to demonstrate how seriously this committee takes the responsibility to walk back discretionary spending," said the committee report. "The committee's actions to reduce spending on the many agencies, programs and activities funded in this bill will help address the nation's debt, deficit and economic challenges."
Two days later, the Office of Management and Budget issued a veto threat that focused primarily on charges that the Republicans' bill violated the 2011 Budget Control Act and on proposed cuts in well-known programs such as rural development, nutrition and international aid. But in a little noted passage of the statement of Obama administration policy, OMB blasted the proposed cuts of $55 million and $9 million respectively in building maintenance and staff office deployment.
"Consistent with the administration's efforts to reduce administrative costs, the department is streamlining services and cutting expenses by closing unnecessary offices, reducing travel and printing, and consolidating information technology contracts. The committee proposal to eliminate O&M funding entirely and the deep cut in the USDA-wide staff offices would put an unrealistic burden on agencies," OMB noted.
The veto threat also protested House Republican plans to cut funding for salaries and expenses at USDA service centers connected to the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.
"Each of these agencies has seen significant decreases in its administrative budget since 2010, which they have met through permanent staffing reductions using voluntary early retirement and separation authorities, delaying or eliminating the acquisition of important information technologies upgrades, office closures, and reductions for most other administrative expenses," OMB said. "An additional 3 percent reduction could harm program delivery, delay rural economic development, and lead to longer waits for farm and home loans as well as assistance for farmers and ranchers."
The Senate version of the agriculture spending bill, which cleared the Appropriations Committee in April, contains no such cuts. Its buildings and facilities budget of $241.3 million is split into three sections, rental payments, building security, and operations and maintenance. The Senate proposal matches the House proposal in the first two categories, but would allocate $52,169,000 for operations and maintenance, or about $3 million less than the president's request as compared with zero in the House version.
When the president's budget came out in February, the Agriculture Department asked for continuing funding in operations and maintenance to help with repairs, health and life safety issues and energy conservation in its two-building headquarters complex and George Washington Carver Center in Beltsville, Md. The department also asked for authority for the secretary to shuffle funds from previous years' budgets as he consolidated offices and sought new efficiencies.
Just weeks before the fiscal 2013 budget was released, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA was contributing to the Obama administration's Campaign to Cut Waste by creating a Blueprint for Stronger Service. The plan will result in closures of 259 domestic offices, facilities and labs across the country, as well as seven foreign offices, for an estimated savings of $150 million annually.
Floor votes on the Agriculture appropriations bills will take place later in the summer, though the major farm authorization bill cleared the Senate this month and will be taken up by the House in July.
What is clear now is the department's desire for continued and flexible funding as it reduces its facilities footprint does not fit with the deficit reduction plans of House appropriators. "This legislation," said House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., "represents a careful balance between fiscal restraint and responsible investments in programs to support an abundant and safe food and drug supply, promote U.S. interests in the global economy, and encourage economic development in our rural communities."
NEXT STORY: Postal Service workers stage hunger strike


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August 17, 2010
Kansas City, MO—Research Medical Center and Midwest Physicians, part of HCA Midwest Health System, are pleased to announce the appointment of trauma surgeon, Nora Royer, MD, to the Midwest Trauma and Surgical Specialists practice and the Research Medical Center staff.
Dr. Royer has a diverse research and publishing background in the field of trauma and most recently worked as a resident physician. Prior to pursuing her surgical studies, she served as a researcher in radiology and psychology. She has also served at the Kansas City Free Health Clinic. Dr. Royer has been honored by Alpha Omega Alpha, Tau Beta Pi, and as an executive board member for the Cornyn Foundation. She has also served as a resident member for both the American College of Surgeons and the Association of Women Surgeons. She received her medical degree from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and completed her surgical residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
Midwest Trauma and Surgical Specialists provides comprehensive trauma and surgery services for patients of all ages. The practice is conveniently located near Research Medical Center and accepts all major insurance plans. Please call (816) 276-6405 or visit MidwestTraumaServices.com for more information.


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Guillermo Kuitca
Guillermo Kuitca: Diarios will be the first U.S. museum exhibition of a selection of paintings made from 2005 to the present. Since 1994, Kuitca has taken failed and discarded canvases, stretched them over an abandoned table from his parents' garden, and then spent periods of time ranging from three to six months creating intentional and accidental doodles, drawings, and recordings on their surfaces. The Diarios, as the artist calls them, are the most transparently personal works in his oeuvre as they gather residue like phone numbers, titles of paintings, email addresses, blank spots where books sat, lists, and collaged elements that record the ebb and flow of life inside and outside the studio. In addition to the Diarios, The Drawing Center will present a projection of the table in Kuitca's studio that will document the next Diario as it is being made. This exhibition will travel to the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI from February 22 - May 26, 2013 and then to MCA Denver, where it will be on view from June 21 - September 15, 2013.
Curated by Brett Littman, Executive Director
Read Drawing Papers 100:Guillermo Kuitca: Diarios.
Buy the catalogue.
Image: Guillermo Kuitca, Diario (25 May – 20 October 2005). Mixed media on paper, 47 1/4 inches diameter (1 5/8 inches deep). Collection of the Artist. Courtesy Sperone Westwater, New York.
Guillermo Kuitca: Diarios


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We are delighted to deliver our Free Public Seminars across Hampshire to give people the information and knowledge they need to grow, protect and enjoy your wealth.
In this FREE morning Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Seminar you will learn:
- The 5 common mistakes that make most Wills disastrous and how to avoid them
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- If you will benefit from the new Residential Nil Rate Band Allowance
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