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To Order 1-800-577-5694
Didactic Skull Kit 22 PartThe human skull consists of many individual bones that gradually grow together as the development proceeds. The new 3B Scientific Skull Kit is a natural cast and makes the complex structure of the skull easy to understand, since it can be disassembled into its 22 individual bones. The individual bones can be reassembled by means of inconspicuous, stable connectors attached at the slightly simplified skull sutures. The 22 bones are depicted in 9 different didactic colors so that the individual skull bones are easy to distinguish. Each pair of bone plates has the same color.
©2020 Advantage Medical - Physical Therapy Equipment Supplier, a division of Scrip, Inc
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Attention on-line shoppers. Best start stocking up on all those e-clothes, electronics and book deals.
Your tax-free shopping experience is about to end.
Such is the conclusion following Thursday's news conference at the Ronald Reagan State Building in downtown Los Angeles.
U.S. & World
Governor Jerry Brown, before a packed audience of reporters, explained his veto of the state budget passed by legislative Democrats the day before.
But there were other bills sent to his desk that he is thinking about signing.
One of them is the so-called "Amazon Tax" -- SB234 by Berkeley Democratic Senator Loni Hancock.
That measure would authorize the collection of sales taxes from out-of-state e-commerce retailers, Amazon.com being the biggest among them.
Her bill, along with two other Assembly bills doing essentially the same thing, were sent to the Governor's desk.
Asked about them on Thursday, Mr. Brown said he tended to think favorably of idea which Democrats say will establish parity with brick and morter businesses and raised over a billion dollars for the state.
Brown called it a "common sense idea."
The problem with charging sales tax on-line is that it could present a major disadvantage to e-retailers.
Internet shopping already has the built-in downside of shipping fees.
Shoppers freqently must decide whether it is worth the wait and the cost of mailing the goods through UPS as opposed to going to the store and buying it now while paying the state sales tax.
Adding sales tax to on-line shopping means you will be paying the tax (8.25% statewide) along with shipping… all for the advantage of waiting for your purchase.
No wonder Amazon has lobbied against the bills in Sacramento and in other states.
Five states have passed such laws, which resuted in Amazon and Overstock.com cutting business ties with affiliates in those states.
They have promised to do the same in California.
Amazon wants a "national soluton" to the sales tax issue. Fat chance. In the meantime the Governor will decide by Jun 27th on the internet tax bill.
Time to get shopping.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Situated on the southwest slope of the Acropolis Hill, Athens, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, completed in 174AD, originally had a wooden roof and a capacity of 5,000. The seating and stage was restored in the 1950s, since when it has hosted concerts by singers ranging from Maria Callas to Elton John. 'Reflections: Theatres' (Roads Publishing, RRP £40) is available to order from Telegraph Books at £36 + £1.35 p&p. Call 0844 871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.ukPicture: Christopher Chan/Getty Images


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Parenting mistakes Shall be avoided
- Details
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 51337
1) Do not be rude to him due to any mistake of the child, Then your child will grow up liar.
2) Do not shorten your baby in front of everyone, Then your child will lose confidence.
3) Do not impose a decision on the child's decision, Then he will never have the ability to decide on his own.
4) Do not take responsibility for your child when you have problems in any matter, let him cope. Otherwise, he would be very fearful.
5) Do not compare the other with the child, Then he will learn to jealous and envy people.
6) Do not bother your child, Then he will feel guilty for everything later.
7) Do not break your promise to your child, Otherwise, he will not understand the value of the promise later.
8) Do not despise their interest, Then she will be frustrated with herself.
9) Teach your child how to control emotions, Otherwise it will suffer from nervous problems.
10)Find, if they suspect their abilities, they will remember it for life.


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Yorktown Tea Party, November 7, 1774
On November 7, 1774, residents of York County threw a "tea party," reminiscent of the Boston Tea Party of 1773, when they boarded the ship Virginia and dumped two half-chests of tea into the York River. The first Virginia Revolutionary Convention that met in August of that year had adopted a resolution to refuse to purchase English goods or consume tea, hoping to pressure English merchants to persuade Parliament to repeal tax laws and regulations that Virginia leaders believed to be unconstitutional. The tea that reached Yorktown in November was en route from the London mercantile firm of John Norton and Sons for the Williamsburg merchants John Prentis and Company. The men in Yorktown acted after growing impatient waiting for guidance from a committee in Williamsburg. They did not damage the ship or any other cargo; they only dumped the tea. Later, committees in York and Gloucester Counties condemned Norton, Prentis, and the ship's captain for violating the Virginia boycott. They ordered the ship not to load any tobacco for shipment to England but to return to England empty. The committees' resolutions were published in Williamsburg's Virginia Gazette on November 24, 1774, which also printed a public apology from John Prentis.
John Norton defended his behavior in a letter written in London on January 16, 1775, and published in the Virginia Gazette on May 6, 1775. He stated that he believed the Virginia convention resolutions "were preparatory only to those intended at the general meeting in August that they were then to receive a sanction from the Congress." He agreed "that the Parliament of Great Britain have not the least shadow of right to tax America; that I never will, directly or indirectly, deviate from these principles . . . which ought to govern every person that has any regard for the liberty of America."
1. Why did the colonists dump the tea?
2. Why did John Prentis print his apology in the newspaper?
Further Discussion
1. How does this event compare to the Boston Tea Party that took place in December 1773 in Massachusetts? How are they alike and how are they different? What prompted the colonists to dump their tea? What were the results of the Boston tea dumping and the Virginia tea dumping? Why do you think the responses were different?
2. If you had been a member of the York or Gloucester committees what would you have done? Waited for word from the committee, dumped the tea, burned the ship, or taken some other action? Explain your reasons.
3. In May 1775, John Norton published his apology for importing the tea and stated there had been confusion concerning the resolves. Do you think John Norton was loyal to the Crown, or was he a true supporter of the patriotic cause?
The events surrounding the Yorktown Tea Party are printed in several editions of the Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg).
• Resolutions from the York and Gloucester County Committees and John Prentis's Apology, Purdie and Dixon, November 24, 1774, page 2, and in Pickney, November 24, 1774, page 3.
• Letter from John Norton, Dixon and Hunter, May 6, 1775, page 2, and Purdie, May 12, 1775, page 2–3.
Suggested Reading
Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission. Revolutionary Virginia: the Road to Independence, a Documentary Record, Vol 2: The Committees and the Second Convention, 1773–1775. Compiled and edited by William J. Van Schreeven and Robert L. Scribner. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1975.


text: Nope, our current science tells us FTL is not only possible, we even know what we need to do in order to it. Now how to actually practically do it, is the only hurdle. Let me illustrate. In the 1950s there was an SF novel. I can't remember the writer, but the novel depicted desktop computers on every desk, sometimes multiple in a home, faster than the fastest computer back then, and to top it off, all the computers were linked together in a world wide network. Sound familiar? You know what the going scientific rate was on the book? It was ridiculous! Computers could NEVER intercommunicate. And Computers would NEVER get smaller, they'd only get BIGGER! Sure as science! Less then twenty years later, the first desktop computers arrived. Another dozen years later and the European universities and soon after American universities got connected in the first global network. Another fifteen years later and the world wide web was born. Another ten years after that, and here we are. THAT is why artificially keeping yourself to what "present day science" tells us is rather, well, ridiculous. What scientists would tell you is impossible today, and won't happen in a million years, might be on your desk no more than a decade later, and your children would laugh the scientists who told you it was so impossible out of the building. The same happened with Jules Verne's envisioning of men landing on the moon. It would never happen! Then it became 1969. Ships traveling under water? Hah! Would never happen! A good rule of thumb is; if Science Fiction shows you something that Science are hard telling you it's impossible; expect it to be true within your lifetime. Higher chance of that occurring than it being actually impossible.


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We would look at the first day being a back to basic introduction and getting you back on track day, the next two days would be more specific in helping you really get to grips with using technology for your language activity. We envisage that the first day would be optional, those who are comfortable with the basics of Miromaa would not need to attend this day.
The next two days would include group lead activities in using Miromaa, Lexique Pro and other software programs, we will have on hand the latest technology hardware including Zoom recorders, digital cameras and video equipment. We will also attend to your own personal situations and needs in a one on one basis if so required.
Day 1
The morning will consist of a demonstration of Miromaa and the major software programs that will be learnt; during this time participants will setup their own language database and have some practical use of it.
The essence of working in a language program whether the outcomes are to produce resources or preserve a language is excellent storing of language/knowledge. Miromaa enforces excellent archive practices and these will be learnt as we progress.
Participants will be given time to enter about 10 entries of language records into Miromaa, these records will then be used by everyone in examining the features of Miromaa and then using this data to export and begin making lexical resources with other software.
During this process we will expose everyone to the wonderful world of Multimedia through using cameras and audio recorders.
The goal of Day 1 is to be totally comfortable with using Miromaa and understanding of its features. Everyone should also have a good understanding of best practice for recording of multimedia.
Day 2
As day 1 introduced everyone to other software products like Lexique Pro, Photostory etc. Today everyone will learn in-depth how to use these auxiliary programs. They will continue to use Miromaa and by the end of Day 2 will be experts at using Miromaa.
Lexicons, Word Lists, HTML Web pages and distributable lexical cd's should be able to be produced by each participant. If time allows Photostory and other software will be reviewed.
Day 3
Depending on how the previous 2 days have gone, day 3 may be used to continue on what was missed from the previous days (a catchup day), it will also include refreshes of all of the products used. This day will also be used to look at producing real resources that could be used at anytime for preserving and teaching of language, this may be led by the participants or we may decide on the exact outcomes as we get more familiar with everyone.


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The VINS Nature Center is now OPEN daily 10am to 5pm. Face covers & social distancing are required.
802.359.5000 | WILD BIRD REHAB: x510
April 5, 2019 | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
An event every day that begins at 10:00 am, repeating until May 12, 2019
Amy Hook-Therrien is a native Vermonter, originally from Chelsea, she grew up nestled on top of a hill overlooking the valleys below. She was surrounded by nature and adventure. She graduated from Randolph Union High School with a passion for art. She went onto college at the University of Maine in Orono majoring in fine art with a focus in sculpture and painting. After graduating with a BFA from UMaine she moved back to Vermont and she and her husband bought a house in Windsor. When she is not creating art Amy loves to travel, hike, garden, and spend time with her family.
"I love painting with watercolor. When I first started working with the medium it made me nervous not to be able to control it, but in time I learned to love the uncontrollable chaos of it. I use fine white lines and ink to help contain the paint in certain areas. I mix my paint loosely so that it separates slightly giving the painting texture. I love to paint things from nature, waterfalls, trees, plants, stones, it allows me to be freer in my painting style, nothing ever looks exactly the same in nature. You can fall in love with the imperfect, a flower missing a part of its petal, a tree with a broken branch. Painting in nature is always exciting, and exploring it is my passion."
VINS en Plein Air Festival 2017 – Quick Paint Competition – 2nd Place
Vermont Hand Crafters – Juried Artist Since 2018
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association – Juried Artist Since 2014
View more artwork by Amy Hook-Therrien at amyhooktherrien.com.
The Artist Exhibition will be on display at the VINS Nature Center from January 12 to March 31. For more information contact us at email@example.com or 802.359.5000.


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anyone here experienced web hosting in yahoo?
my friend has a website and been down since yesterday. he tries to contact the yahoo technical department and still they have any response yet. we don't know why it did go offline. we tried to ping, trace route, but the only response we got is "unknown host". they (yahoo) didn't even send any notifications on why the website will go offline.
would appreciate any help. thank you.


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Mankind Comic Book #1: September '99
**This Comic comes in a Photo Cover (on right) and Art Cover (on left, please note this version is $8)
Publisher: Chaos
Date Published: September 1999
PHOTO COVER. by Steven Grant & Jerry Beck
You've seen him in the pages of The Undertaker and on RAW is WAR ? now Mankind stars in his own special from Chaos! Comics and the WWF! Never one to claim a high degree of mental stability, Mankind suddenly finds himself in the middle of a reality- warping adventure pitting him against an ancient evil and a vile enemy. Is there any hope that he or his trusty elasticized sidekick Mr. Socko will survive to Have a Nice Day?
Average Customer Review: Not yet rated
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Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
1953-2009 (Creation)
- Creation
- Hoffer, Abram, 1917-2009
Physical description area
Physical description
8 photographs: prints, col.
4 computer disks
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Abraham (Abram) Hoffer was born on a farm near Hoffer, Saskatchewan on November 11, 1917 to Israel and Clara (Schwartz) Hoffer. After graduating from the local high school in 1934, Hoffer attended the University of Saskatchewan, where he earned Bachelor and Master of Science in Agriculture degrees in 1938 and 1940 respectively. Hoffer was employed as a research cereal chemist for Purity Flour Mills in Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1940 to 1944. After completing his Doctor of Philosophy degree in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1944, Hoffer then pursued a degree in medicine. He studied first at the University of Saskatchewan (1945-1947) and then transferred to the University of Toronto, where he obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1949.
Hoffer completed an internship with City Hospital in Saskatoon and then relocated to Regina to join the Saskatchewan Department of Public Health in 1950 as Director of Psychiatric Research, a position he held until 1967. Hoffer and his colleagues, including his long time writing partner Dr. Humphry Osmond, undertook extensive research into schizophrenia. Hoffer and Osmond obtained a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to develop their adrenochrome hypothesis, the first widely examined biochemical theory related to schizophrenia. They went on to investigate the therapeutic application of mega-doses of vitamin B-3 and ascorbic acid to schizophrenics. The conclusions to these studies became the basis for their innovative method of orthomolecular psychiatry and medicine.
Hoffer returned to Saskatoon in 1955 and assumed additional duties as Assistant (1955-1958) and Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Research) at the College of Medicine of the University of Saskatchewan. Hoffer and Osmond went on to co-develop diagnostic tests and psychedelic therapy for the treatment of schizophrenia. They also continued to study the use of supplements to lower cholesterol levels, particularly niacin. In pursuing their research, Hoffer and Osmond were the first psychiatrists in North America to conduct double-blind controlled tests, and later published papers about the defects and flaws of this method.
Hoffer was instrumental in the formation of the American Schizophrenia Association (ASA) in 1964, and in 1968 founded the Saskatchewan Schizophrenia Foundation, which changed its name to the Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation (CSF) in 1969 in order to reflect its national scope. Hoffer also developed and edited the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, which served as a publishing outlet for researchers, practitioners, and proponents of orthomolecular medicine.
A resistance to the orthomolecular approach pervaded the psychiatric establishment of the time, and Hoffer's publications were invariably controversial. Hoffer felt that his freedom to publish and discuss therapeutic trials using vitamins was being restricted by his two employers, the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Department of Health. In response, Hoffer resigned from his positions and launched a private practice in Saskatoon in 1967.
Hoffer continued to serve on the board of the ASA until 1971, when he and several colleagues launched the Huxley Institute for Biosocial Research and integrated the ASA as a division. Hoffer served as the new Institute's president until 1984, and would remain active in its operation and work until it ceased to exist in 1993.
In 1976, Hoffer relocated and established a psychiatric practice in Victoria, British Columbia, which he operated until December 31, 2005, treating thousands of patients using orthomolecular medicine and psychiatry. In 2006, Hoffer and his long-time office manager, Francis Fuller, also opened a non-medical consulting business called the Orthomolecular Vitamin Information Centre Inc., with Hoffer serving as president and Fuller serving as chief executive officer.
In 2003, the Canadian Schizophrenia Foundation changed its name to the International Schizophrenia Foundation (ISF), with Hoffer again serving as the founding president. Hoffer also established the Senior Physicians Society of British Columbia in 1999 and served as president.
Along with his busy practice and his active involvement in many organizations, Hoffer published widely in medical journals and popular magazines. He authored, co-authored and contributed to nearly a dozen books about schizophrenia and orthomolecular medicine. Hoffer received many honours and awards for his work including the Dr. Rogers Prize for Excellence in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2007). Hoffer died in Victoria on May 27, 2009.
Hoffer married Rose Beatrice Miller on February 14, 1942. The Hoffers had three children: William, Leonard John, and Miriam.
Custodial history
Abram Hoffer donated some of these records to the Saskatoon office, Saskatchewan Archives, in three accessions between 1988 and 2006: S88-77 (October 3, 1988); S2003-12 (March 10, 2003); and S2006-47 (October 11, 2006).
Miriam Hoffer, daughter of Abram Hoffer, donated some of these records to the Saskatchewan Archives in one accession in 2009: 2009-694 (March 22, 2009).
Scope and content
This series consists of Abram Hoffer's incoming and outgoing correspondence with a variety of individuals, organizations and companies around the world relating mainly to the practice of orthomolecular medicine. The records include greeting cards, newspaper clippings, copies of medical records and articles/research papers. Some of the correspondence is answered by Frances Fuller, CEO of the Orthomolecular Vitamin Information Centre.
It appears that once a certain volume of correspondence with a particular correspondent accumulated in a miscellaneous file, an individual file was created for the correspondent. The individual files are located in the General Correspondence series (F 410-3). The correspondence not moved to the General Correspondence series is found here in the Miscellaneous Correspondence series. The records are arranged in alphabetical order by surname or corporate name.


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I purchased these charms awhile ago as well and forgot to include them in my last post. But I couldn't resist posting because I wanted to show the engagement ring charm. I wanted it ever since I got engaged to John, and then they sold out, and then when I was at the outlets it was on sale for $34.99, I was SO excited, words can't express...
Engagement Ring Charm
Butterfly Charm on clearance to $19.99 from $58.00!!
Then at the actual Juicy Couture store, John bought me this adorable Juicy Couture bear, it's so cute. It's laying next to me as we speak. Haha... You can actually hook up your Iphone, Ipod, MP3 player to it because it has speakers too it, but I won't use it for that, it's too cute to do that. lol
Victoria Secrets Semi Annual Sale tomorrow!!!. Who else is waking up to go at 7:00AM??? I know I am. hehe.


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I think we need to unpack the recent goings on at the Humboldt County Human Rights Commission. Down here, the Redwood Times reported on a contentious meeting, where violence in Southern Humboldt was on the agenda, and at which, Nezzie Wade walked out and resigned. This front-page story gave us none of the details of the discussion. They told us nothing about the violence. They didn't even tell us what Nezzie Wade got upset about. She just got upset and walked out. Weird, huh?
Next thing you know, the Supes have signed a letter, thanking Nezzie for her service, and wishing her well. Boom, gone, end of story. They made Nezzie sound like this Woodhouse character in Mendocino, like all of a sudden, one day, she just flipped her lid, and was no longer capable of doing her job. How convenient. Multiple complaints of vigilante violence in Southern Humboldt result in the resignation of one HRC commissioner.
Aren't you glad that's all tied-up with a nice little bow. Except, the Human Rights Commission didn't assault people in Southern Humboldt. The HRC didn't steal, and destroy people's property, and Nezzie Wade didn't organize a local posse down here in SoHum to forcibly evict homeless people around Garberville and Redway. That whole segment of the equation: the part about the multiple complaints of vigilante violence that resulted from a string of forcible evictions undertaken by an informal civilian group with no training or authority, known as "Locals on Patrol," that part of the equation, somehow got overlooked.
I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me that when an informal group of civilians with no special training or authority, undertakes to forcibly evict people from their homes, however primitive, human rights abuses could easily result. Landlords can't get away with that shit. I don't know how Locals on Patrol gets away with doing it on land owned by third party absentee landowners who didn't ask them to do it. It seems reasonable to me that people's rights may have been violated in these raids, and indeed, numerous complaints of human rights violations were made, in writing, and submitted to the Humboldt County Human Rights Commission. That's bad enough, but now we get to the part that pissed Nezzie Wade off so much that she walked out of the meeting.
I talked to Nezzie about what happened, and she told me that she was in the middle of composing her letter of resignation, in which she offered an explanation of why she walked out of that meeting, when the supes short-circuited her with their premature letter of appreciation. Nezzie told me that this whole situation with the Human Rights Commission still weighs heavily upon her. She is very unhappy about how the HRC, and Commissioner Jim Glover specifically, handled these complaints of human rights abuses. People down here in SoHum are pissed about it too. Here's what happened.
"Locals on Patrol" forcibly evicted people from camps in Southern Humboldt in September of 2016. Those evicted people filed complaints with the Human Rights Commission, through well-meaning people in Southern Humboldt. Somehow, these complaints, emailed to the HRC, never made it to most of the HRC Commissioners. However, HRC Commissioner Jim Glover discussed these complaints, at length, apparently, with 2nd District Supervisor Estelle Fennell, and shared them with at least one member of the press, who courteously reported back to those well-meaning SoHum folks, that Commissioner Glover had exposed and shared confidential information entrusted to the HRC, for their investigation.
This is a big deal down here in SoHum, and it was a very bad thing for Commissioner Glover to do. The man leading the Locals on Patrol group in these eviction raids, and the man named in most of the complaints as the most aggressive perpetrator, is Josh Sweet, a Garbervile businessman, who once worked for Estelle Fennell's campaign, until the cops raided his hash lab, and found all of the illegal immigrant working on his land. These days, he's busy gentrifying downtown Garberville, and waging war against the poor and homeless, both on his own, and in conjunction with "Locals on Patrol."
When Commissioner Glover told Estelle Fennell about these complaints, he might as well have told Josh Sweet himself. Josh Sweet is a man of considerable political influence in SoHum, and was largely responsible for the recent Garberville Town Square closure. By the descriptions in the complaints, it's clear that he doesn't mind getting rough with people, himself, personally. All of the people who filed complaints against him, and all of the people who helped them file those complaints, still live here, along with Josh Sweet, and all of the Locals on Patrol people who participated in those raids.
We're all still here together out in the middle of nowhere, in this tiny, little burg with a population of about 1,000, and not a single stop light. Josh Sweet should not have been informed of the complaints against him before the HRC had a chance to review those complaints, and decide on a course of action, and the commissioners should have respected the complainants privacy. That breach of confidence undercuts the purpose of the HRC. How can people feel safe in reporting human rights violations to the HRC, if the HRC has a record of turning those complaints over to the alleged perpetrators?
Yet, the other HRC commissioners never saw these complaints. That's why Nezzie Wade got so pissed off. She demanded a copy of all correspondences the HRC has received, including emails, from the Secretary, and the Secretary informed Nezzie that she didn't have them. Nezzie was flabbergasted. Why didn't the Secretary have the correspondences? Why couldn't she find out who had sent what to the commission that she chaired?
Nezzie is concerned for the integrity of the HRC. How many other complaints have been ignored or sidetracked for political reasons? How many people's rights have been violated by the commissioners themselves who leaked confidential information? That's why this meeting became so contentious. People around here are outraged at the HRC, and afraid for their lives. At the meeting, a member of the public expressed her outrage about Commissioner Glover's actions and vowed to take these complaints to the Grand Jury. Glover glibly replied, "That's OK, I'm the foreman of the Grand Jury too."
Since Wades resignation, Commissioner Jim Glover was elected Chairman of the Humboldt County Human Rights Commission, filling the void left by Wade. A motion was raised to consider an anonymous letter that the commission received, asking for the resignation of Commissioner Glover, but before it could be considered, Commissioner Byrd Lochte made a motion to ignore the letter, and that motion carried. The Humboldt County Human Rights Commission has seven vacancies in it's 15 seats, and no budget, but apparently, it serves it's purpose. That is, if you accept that the purpose of the Humboldt County Human Rights Commission is to act as a figleaf to cover-up abusive county policies and protect violent criminals with political connections.
Humboldt County has a long history of addressing perceived social problems with mob violence. It's never worked, but we don't seem much interested in finding an alternative. In many ways, we're the "deep south" of the Pacific Northwest, and our "good ol' boys" rival any you're likely to find in Alabama or Mississippi. Any potential victims of human rights abuse in Humboldt County ought to know that. Save your breath, because Humboldt County's good ol' boys will smother you. This is just one example of how Humboldt County's "good ol' boy" network works, and how our county government, doesn't.


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Jones Ambassador Guide Liz Daley has been living and shredding around Chamonix, France for the past couple months. Here's the lowdown from Liz about two of her favorite splitboard tours this season:
I've been wanting to ride the Epaule du Tacul this entire season. I rode it for the first time last season and it's one of my favorite lines in Cham. It's pure freeride (except for one small rappel in the middle). I've heard a couple horror stories of this line ripping out huge, so it always makes me a bit nervous especially with the blind powdery convex rollover at the top. If this rips there's no hope for you. It's in the middle of the Mer de Glace at the junction of the Leschaux and the Tacul Glaciers so it's exposed to lots of weather and wind slabs can form easily. The line isn't super steep as you ride down the clearly defined, wide ridge, but the line has tons of exposure with each side dropping down 4,000 feet below you. It's not the steepness that's the main hazard in this line but snow conditions, sluff management and sharks getting to the rappel. Route photo by www.tobiasgranath.com
Stoked to get out with Paulie for this mission (fellow splitboarder) we set off from the Midi to send it. I thought we'd be breaking trail to the top but lucky for us there was a vrai extreme ski randonnée frenchman in front of us. Both his skis were as big as one of ours so we broke the other half of the track I guess, haha. Thanks anyway mystery dood! As we approached the bootpack we see two others catching up to us and it was Ben Briggs and Brendan, another splitter! They were off to ride something much more extreme but apparently it wasn't in condition… and for these two it must have really not been in condition.
Brendan approaching the top.
The blind rollover at the top scared the shit out of me. If it had been just Paulie and I, I'd have probably had him belay me over the convexity and stomped around in there a bit. The snow felt really good but there was a lot of it and this isn't a spot you want to rip. It would mean certain death.
But vrai extreme ski randonnée mystery frenchman was eager to open it. I watch him disappear over the rollover. Brendan got to a spot where he could see him and he said it looked good. Ben disappeared then Brendan, then I got up a bit to watch Paulie shred it. It's always a relief to get over the rollover and see that it's not that steep, is super wide and the snow is ideal.
Paulie rips it.
Getting to the rappel can be kind of tech because of route finding and sharks, but we managed. A short rappel then another 1,500 feet of freeride down the open 35 degree moraine.
Then for the scooch out the Mer de Glace.
I love this line. Super beautiful and really fun, cuz that's what it's all about right?
My friends Caroline Gleich and KT Miller were in town so we decided to head out for a two day trip. Our route started in Courmayeur, Italy, traversed the Domes de Miage and then finished with a ride down the Armancette glacier into Contamine, France - a 33 km journey.
Team of perfect proportions we were, 3:3 chicks to dudes, Americans to Brits, skiers to splitters. We were inherently dialed for success.
After 5 hours of side-hilling and a slight route finding error we arrived at the Robert Blanc hut. I drank some vin rouge and chopped wood. Chris fixed the broken window. Paulie told inappropriate jokes in a funny british accent. KT got the shot. Caroline giggled. Tom ate our dinner. And Daddy Yankee serenaded us over my jambox.
Tom Grant and his general bad-assery inside the Robert Blanc Hut.
Climbed up to the Col des Glaciers in the am and rode down 1,500 ft of epic snow. Not sure how the wind and sun didn't damage this slope. Paulie didn't turn, once. Then up the Tre la Tete glacier to the Domes.
Caroline tells epic stories of Equadorian volcanoes while Tom talks Cham steeps.
As we approached the ridge a couple were retreating because of the consistent strong wind with occasional violent gusts. This titillated the desire for adventure as we came closer to the ridge, making it seem a bit more exposed than it already was. It was hard not to au cheval at some stages on this walk as the wind was tres fort. Wouldn't have wanted to tomahawk down the gnarly N face (which are some classic steep routes later on in the spring but 100% not in now).
Tom sends the firm windboard off the summit.
The 9,000 ft descent into Contamine encompassed about every snow condition imaginable. Firm windboard>soft sastrugi>POW!>cream cheese>total mank>icy cat track>dirt. Thankfully we had an hour until the bus took us to the train back to Chamonix so we could stuff our faces with pain au chocolate, chips, beers and pizza.
We saw some epic alpenglow on the way home to Chamonix.
Check out more trip reports from Liz on her blog:


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Catholic Politicians You Thought Were Evangelical
Correction Appended
Some Catholic politicos have become popular among evangelical Christians. So popular, in fact, that they can sometimes be mistaken for an evangelical themselves.
Here are five Catholic politicians who are often believed to be evangelicals:
Rick Santorum
In 2005, then Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who is the current GOP front-runner, was named by Time Magazine as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals. Santorum's strong support of Israel, traditional family values and anti-abortion legislation has garnered him favor among evangelical Christians.
Jeb Bush
Former two-term Florida Governor Jeb Bush was born into conservative royalty. He is the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush and the younger brother of former President George W. Bush. A former Episcopalian, Bush converted to Catholicism, the faith of his wife, Columba, in 1995.
Newt Gingrich
Republican Presidential Candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was baptized at a Southern Baptist church in New Orleans while he was attending graduate school. His conversion to Catholicism in 2009 came after he began attending mass in 2000 with his third wife, Callista.
Bobby Jindal
The first Indian-American governor in America grew up in a Hindu household and converted to Catholicism while in college. The former congressman was sworn in as governor of Louisiana in 2008 after running on a platform of ethics reform. Jindal has a consistently pro-life voting record and signed a bill that allows high school teachers to present alternative views to evolution, such as intelligent design.
Clarence Thomas
Six of the nine current Supreme Court justices are Catholic. Thomas attended a Catholic seminary for a short time before attending College of the Holy Cross, a private Catholic college in Worcester, Mass. Thomas was one of four dissenting judges in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) who argued that Roe v. Wade (1973), the case that legalized abortion, was wrongly decided.
Correction: Wednesday, February 22, 2012:
An article on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, about Catholic politicians mistakenly stated that Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, is Catholic. Perkins is Southern Baptist.


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After watching the new They Might Be Giants music video you may have been overcome with an irrepressible urge to go out and make a pink Cadillac hearse monster truck. Here's how to do it.
Yes! In just fourteen easy steps you can have a "When Will You Die" commemorative Monster Hearse of your own. All you have to do is download the free They Might Be Giants official .pdf here, print the document at a mere 3400% magnification and follow the surprisingly simple step-by-step instructions.
Step 1: Print out the instructions, which also include the paper guides for your Monster Hearse.
Step 2: Cut out the pink body of the Monster Hearse and fold along the dotted lines.
Step 3: Glue the body pieces together.
Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the undercarriage, then do the same for the wheels. These parts are kind of complicated, so you'll want to read the illustrated, official 14-step instruction document for this.
Step 5: Attach the wheels to the undercarriage with two poster tube-axles. Just fit the body to the undercarriage and wheels and you're done!*
*Please follow official They Might Be Giants instructions for building your Monster Hearse. Our steps should just give you an idea how straightforward the real thing is going to be.
If you don't feel like acquiring 6,000 square feet of cardboard, you can always make a Monster Hearse in miniature. We'll still be impressed.
Whether you build the 12 foot tall life-size version or one you can fit on a turntable, take pictures, make a video and let us see your handmade creation.


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If This Is The Sort Of Writing That Strong Copyright Creates... I'll Pass
from the let-it-go... deptTwo years ago, we were among those who piled on in response to author Mark Helprin's NY Times op-ed piece in which he argued that copyright should last forever. We explained why this showed a fundamental ignorance of the very purpose of copyright law. Of course, rather than inform himself, it appears Helprin spent the past two years fuming against those who tried to educate him. He's written an entire book bashing the "digital barbarians" who are trying to destroy society by picking away at copyright. I'm about halfway through the book, and I'd finish it faster if I didn't have to keep whacking my head against the wall wondering how someone could fail so spectacularly at basic fundamental logic and comprehension. I'm planning to write up something of a review (along with reviews of some other, much more worthwhile books) at some point soon.
In the meantime, however, the Wall Street Journal saw fit to give Helprin space to embarrass himself royally earlier this week. The piece attacks consumer rights advocates as being advocates for "thieves" (don't get me started...) and implies that those fighting against copyright extension are all part of a plot of some big tech companies to get all information for free (and destroy society at the same time). It goes on to suggest (despite the fact that copyright law has been changed in one direction and one direction only over the years) that those of us concerned about the massive expansion of copyright have been winning battle after battle with almost no opposition:
So here we have a city -- the hypothetical city and New York itself -- deeply dependent upon what copyright protects but unaware of the threat it faces, even as, sector by sector, it begins to fall. Are you -- were you -- in publishing? Are you, or were you, a journalist? A screenwriter, composer, architect, designer, photographer, writer, or in a business that brings the work of these people to the public? What have you done to protect your life's blood and to guarantee the continued independence of your voice? As distressed as you may be now or not long from now, should copyright go the way of all flesh, some of you may soon be unable even to recognize your own profession, if indeed it continues to exist.As ridiculous as his book is, at least his argument there is laid out with a bit more effort. This piece is just pure tripe, backed up with nothing even resembling fact. It's odd that a publication like the Wall Street Journal would allow blatant falsehoods to be published in its pages, but if that's what it takes these days to defend copyright... I guess it shows how desperate the defenders of Big Copyright have become.
K Matthew Dames from Copycense has taken an initial stab at correcting many of Helprin's errors in great detail, citing numerous sources to show just how incredibly wrong Helprin is over and over again.
Still, the thing that struck me is that Helprin's argument does what many other "defenses" of the elitist (and purely imaginary) notion that there's some war between "professional content creators" and those weak-minded "amateurs" who are trying to destroy them seem to do: it disproves its own point. For all the talk about how copyright and other tools of "protection" against the riff raff guarantees higher quality output, all we get is totally indefensible material like Helprin's. The defense of copyright produces misleading, poorly thought out, poorly defended and flat out wrong content such as Helprin's. Meanwhile, the thoughtful, reasonable, useful analysis comes from sites like Copycense. In the end, that may be the best response to Helprin's work. His own words disprove his own thesis.
Filed Under: copyright, creative commons, k matthew dames, mark helprin


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Message Board
Ed Gorman Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Gorman has written!
Author Gorman's Book Reviews
Moonchasers and Other stories
Forge, Dec 2000, 14.95, 384 pp. ISBN: 0312877188 is one of the main reasons I am an insomniac. Several years ago, he and a couple of fellow thugs persuaded me to try an anthology. My meat and potatoes are novels, but I soon found a gourmet's delight in short stories so that I spend several nights reading a tale or two from a collection. Mr. Gorman's latest anthology exclusively includes only tales written by him. That alone guarant...
Daw, Feb 2002, 6.99, 320 pp. ISBN 0756400503 From the dawn of time, the human race was split into two sub-species. One is the Normals while the other is the minority Witches, who have extra sensory powers involving telekinesis, telepathy, healing, and mind control. The Witches did whatever was necessary to hide their powers from the Normals, but as evidenced by the Inquisition, the Salem witch trials and other purging events, they were not ...
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Carroll & Graf, Jan 2001, 22.95, 208 pp. ISBN: 0786707755 In 1959 throughout the heartland, everyone knows the Ruskies are coming with Khrushchev visiting Iowa. The Soviet Premier's visit stirs up much activity as the anti-Communists shout "Better Dead than Red". Right wing activists target left wing sympathizing Americans such as noted local writer Richard Conners. Taking the threats to his life seriously, Richard turns to attorney-...