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Sept. 18, 2018
Gather around a virtual campfire, complete with fire-crackling sound effects, for some LGBTQ storytelling
Storytelling is one of the oldest and most powerful techniques used for teaching and learning; it serves to create empathy and understanding, bear witness and to reinforce or challenge ideas. Challenging ideas is what Dylan Paré, a PhD student in Learning Sciences at the Werklund School of Education, hopes to accomplish on Wednesday, September 19 with their Beakerhead LGBTQ Narratives experience.
This exhibit allows visitors to immerse themselves in a multi-user, participatory, virtual reality environment along with their friends. Together, they can listen to three queer and trans stories of marginalization in STEM fields, as well as share their own stories. Paré, who designed this VR environment in collaboration with Scout Windsor, John Craig and Dr. Pratim Sengupta, Phd, says the campfire setting was purposefully crafted.
"The virtual campfire, complete with fire-crackling noises, is a prototypical storytelling scene. The virtual environment is designed to encourage a sense of calm so that our sense of who we are can be re-imagined, as what has been silenced re-emerges."
Just as the setting is carefully crafted, so too are the narratives. Each story runs approximately one minute in duration and details the author's personal experience of having been silenced. The first speaker discusses how being gender non-binary, queer and assigned-female led to exclusion from male-dominated technology-learning spaces as well as exclusion from "ladies learning code" spaces, the second author reflects on societal expectations to perform toxic masculinity and how it affected his ability to be himself at work, while the final story outlines how assigned-female people in technology fields must be careful not to upset men who lack technical proficiency.
Paré says experiences such as these have created an unwelcoming atmosphere that is responsible for significant difficulties in recruiting and retaining marginalized individuals in STEM fields.
"We need to create spaces for marginalized groups, including women, racialized people, and gender and sexually diverse people, to live and be recognized in their identities within STEM fields because who we are matters for what we do, and who we are with shapes our learning experience."
Sengupta, research chair of STEM education and director of the Werklund School's Mind, Matter & Media Lab, is Paré's PhD supervisor and says their use of virtual reality technology allows participants to immerse themselves in worlds and engage in conversations that might be outside the scope of their usual experiences.
"Learning scientists have shown that projections in virtual worlds through the use of virtual agents – the fundamental form of experience in VR environments – can help people take on perspectives that would be otherwise difficult for them to adopt."
"In fact, previous research from our lab has shown how the use of virtual agents can support sense-making and deep learning of complex topics, even at much younger ages than what was previously possible," adds Sengupta.
Sengupta says that it is important for education researchers to develop new technologies to support new ways of engaging in STEM disciplines that do not ignore our marginalized and intersectional identities. "We can re-shape STEM disciplines to be queer and inclusive by fundamentally altering the technological infrastructure in these disciplines – quite literally by inventing and re-inventing them."
This is what doctoral students in the Mind, Matter & Media Lab have been doing, often in collaboration with local and community partners. Paré and Sengupta, for example, designed the VR environment along with VR and 3D artist Scout Windsor and John Craig, a local technologist and a research affiliate of the lab.
Paré says they want those who listen to the stories – and talk about the stories with their friends in VR in an intimate setting – to come away with a different understanding of the connection between technology and human beings.
"I hope that people will gain new perspectives on critical approaches to gender and sexuality in the design of technology and will gain insight into how our identities affect our relationships to technology and to each other through technology."
Libraries and Cultural Resources hosts Campus Collisions, a Beakerhead community event inside the Taylor Family Digital Library. September 19 and 20 will be packed with talks, demos, workshops and other events. These events are free and open to everyone. Visit the website for full details.


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Musée Miniature et Cinéma is a fascinating interactive gallery in Lyon, France that houses an incredibly impressive collection of all things miniature. Historical recreations of traditional arts and crafts, theater and film and miniatures of Asian influence can be found while exploring throughout the different rooms of the museum
Unique in France, the main collection presents over 100 hyperreal miniature scenes on two stories. More than mere technical achievements, these creations are mirages of their own kind. Their outstanding realism revives one's memories and exhales a distinct sense of nostalgia. The subtle lighting arrangement, the painstaking replication of old textures, the use of the same original materials, all contribute to the creation of a moving poetry that resonates with each new miniature panorama.
images via Musée Miniature et Cinéma
via Colossal


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Industry collaboration
One of Inven2's most important tasks is to contribute to a greater level of collaboration between academia and industry. In many cases, collaboration between the private and public sectors means that knowledge and technology are tested against the needs of the market. This increases the chances of the research being taken into use and thereby serving society.
Inven2 has long experience of private–public sector collaboration agreements. We take a solution-oriented approach and draw up agreements that provide the best possible basis for collaboration between academia and industry.
Industry collaboration for an innovative eye syringe
The Dutch company SJJ Solutions, in collaboration with Oslo University Hospital and the University of Oslo, is developing a ground-breaking syringe. The syringe is specially designed to inject medicine into the eye – a concept that is not currently available.


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Mises Wire
Redefining Violence: The Problem With PC Speech Codes
Last fall, the Washington Post reported on how a "chilling study" showed that college students are "hostile...toward free speech."
The research, author Catherine Rampell noted, showed that large numbers of students — sometimes constituting even a majority — support "snuffing out upsetting speech." Many also support the use of violence in order to do so.
Many defenders of free speech in response have framed this unfortunate reality as the result of an insufficient lack of reverence for "free speech," or for tolerance in general.
But this approach somewhat misses the point. If asked directly if tolerance and freedom of speech are good things, these same students who oppose "upsetting speech" or "hate speech" as they often call it, would surely answer in the affirmative.
If Speech Is a Form of Violence, It is Legitimate for the State to Limit It
"Of course tolerance and free speech are good things" the student would no doubt say, "but you don't have freedom to inflict violence on others."
When viewed from their vantage point, this claim is analogous to the old political proverb that states "my right to swing my fists ends where your nose begins."
In other words, behavior must be limited when it threatens the property of others.
Now, to the casual observer not up-to-date on current ideological orthodoxy, he might not see any connection between these two claims. How can speech be equated to swinging fists about? Words are not like fists.
What this casual observer has missed however is that current opponents of so-called hate speech have redefined violent behavior to include upsetting words spoken by others.
This is how advocates of "snuffing out" certain types of speech can reconcile their position with stated support for "freedom" and "free speech."
By opposing certain types of speech, one is not opposing basic freedoms, but is opposing actual violence.
And this illustrates the importance of the "speech is violence" narrative which is at the very core of the current controversies over so-called political correctness, and which even many leftists are uncomfortable defending.
However, critics of oddball theories from university humanities professors often focus too much on the theories themselves. Claims that there are dozens of genders or that "whiteness" is a social disease are problematic, to be sure. But America has certainly seen its share of aggressive ideologies before.
The difference now, however, is that proponents of these ideologies feel sufficiently emboldened so as to declare even mere opposition to these theories to be a form a violence. And this is an extremely important distinction. If speech can be shown to be violence, then it becomes morally legitimate to call for action by the state to limit or abolish that speech.
After all, in the Western mind, the restraint of violence has long been one of the few near-universally-accepted purposes of the state. For Augustine of Hippo, who took a cynical and suspicious view of the state, the state could at least do some good by retraining violence and punishing malefactors. Centuries later, even most libertarian minded Americans accept that one of the few proper functions of the state is to prevent and punish violations of property rights.
Thus, if merely saying things can be classified as a violation of a person's body or property, this is a major victory for those seeking to regulate speech itself.
And the left has been hard at work attempting to establish this connection. Last year, psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett, a respected researcher at Northeaster University attempted in The New York Times to show that speech expressing unpleasant ideas by others can causes chronic stress in the hearer, and thus can lead to physical damage in the body. If speech can cause physiological damage, ought it not be considered a form of aggression?
Similarly, some journalists have claimed they are now suffering from a form of post traumatic stress disorder after being in the presence of members of the so-called alt-right, and after only listening to their jokes, speeches, and exchanges.
This contention that speech literally causes physical harm to the body is a somewhat new innovation, but it is only a small step from a more time-honored strategy: that of claiming that "hate speech" creates the conditions which lead to violence. This is held even in cases where no threat to safety is implied, and in which there is no call for action against the "abused" parties in question.
In this view, merely expressing disapproval of certain groups or behaviors constitutes "hate speech" because disapproval of certain groups or their actions leads to violence against them. Or so it is believed.
According to this theory, making the claim that, say, Mexican-Americans are lazier than their Anglo-Saxon counterparts paves the way for violence against Mexican-Americans. Thus, such speech needs to be restrained.
This position has been especially notable outside the United States — at least in recent years. In the United Kingdom, for example, a street preacher was arrested for reading some verses of the bible to a gay teen who had asked the preacher's opinion on the matter.
In Canada, in the case of Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission v Whatcott, the Canadian Supreme Court affirmed the province's prosecution of a man who distributed flyers condemning homosexuality. Significantly, the flyers did not advocate for violence against persons, but portrayed certain people as "inferior" and "untrustworthy." In other words, the Court's decisions concluded that saying rude things is a prosecutable crime in Canada.
Pro-Slavery Opposition to Free Speech in America
In the past, this latter strategy has been employed in the United States as well. In the nineteenth century, abolitionist rhetoric was opposed and condemned in many areas on the grounds that merely opposing the institution of slavery invited insurrection and violence — and thus ought to be banned.
The most notorious case of this, perhaps, is the so-called "mails controversy" in which pro-slavery activists pressured the US postal service to confiscate anti-slavery tracts mailed from the North.
Historian Russell L. Riley describes the situation1:
The abolitionist strategy for affecting a change in southern public opinion through a free press - that is, by mailing publications from the North - was well into implementation by the mid-1830s. This became an especially prominent part of their strategy in 1835, when the total number of publications produced by the American Anti-Slavery Society skyrocketed in one year from 122,000 to over 1 million copies. Southern newspapers were susequently filled with stories of an invasion of incendiary matter.
Anti-slavery activists in the North had sent thousands of publications to South Carolina's prominent citizens. The reaction was not especially blithe, to say the least.
As Riley notes, before the materials could be delivered, "a mob of 3,000 Charlestonians" broke into the post office and burned the "offending materials."
As the local postmaster at the time, Alfred Huger wrote, "this community is too Sensitive [sic]" to allow the expression of such opinions.
In other words, the pro-slavery population of Charleston needed a "safe space," and it pursued that safe space by pressing for legislation — both local and federal — allowing local postmasters to censor the mails as they saw fit.
RELATED: "What Libertarians Should Learn From the Abolitionists" by Murray Rothbard
Blocking abolitionist opinions was not merely a matter of annoyance in the minds of pro-slavery advocates, however. The underlying feeling at work here was that any agitation for emancipation — including emancipation through peaceful means — was more or less equivalent to advocating for slave uprisings, and the total destruction of Southern civilization. In other words, advocating for emancipation was seen as essentially equivalent to advocating violence.2
The heights to which emotion on this matter could reach can be seen in the words of President Andrew Jackson himself who became involved in the mails controversy. Writing to the Postmaster General, Jackson complained:
I have read with sorrow and regret that such men live in our happy country — I might have said monsters — as to be guilty of the attempt to stir up amongst the South the horrors of a servile war — Could they be reached, they ought to be made to atone for this wicked attempt, with their lives.
Riley notes that "[to] Jackson, what the abolitionists took as an exercise of First Amendment rights amounted to a capital offense."
Rarely, though, were abolitionist tracts such as these involved in calls for uprisings and insurrections. The abolitionist movement, in fact, was often closely connected to Quakerism and pacifism, and — especially in the 1830s — could be not portrayed as generally inciting violence.
Indeed, in the 1830s, anti-slavery pockets existed in numerous Southern states, and many anti-slavery activists hoped these pockets might grow and spread, bringing about a state-by-state renunciation of slavery.3 In the upper South, and especially in Appalachia where the plantation economy was unimportant, anti-slavery movement thrived in some areas, sustained largely by communities of Quakers in both Tennessee and North Carolina.
Northern Kentucky was also home to notable anti-slavery advocates, including William S. Bailey who was subjected to numerous cases of boycotts, harassment, vandalism, and threats to his personal safety. Employing the usual tactics of pro-slavery activists, Bailey was also accused of supporting violence against slaveowners and their families, and he was later accused to supporting John Brown — a charge Bailey denied.
Fear of anti-slavery ideas became so heated in fact, that no amount of hyperbole was apparently too over-the-top. By 1850, slavery apologist James Henley Thornwell would write:
The parties in this conflict are not merely abolitionists and slaveholders—they are atheists, socialists, communists, red republicans, jacobins, on the one side, and the friends of order and regulated freedom on the other. In one word, the world is the battle ground—Christianity and Atheism the combatants; and the progress of humanity the stake.
This conflating the pro-slavery cause with civilization itself would later be immortalized in the Mississippi declaration of secession which stated that "a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization."
In Thornwell's comments, it's not difficult to see tactics reminiscent of what we see today from the more virulent advocates of political correctness. We might adjust Thornwell's words to read:
The parties in this conflict are not merely conservatives [or perhaps, "Trump supporters"] and progressives — they are fascists, racists, Nazis, hate-mongers, and religious zealots on the one side, and the friends of equality and diversity on the other. In one word, the world is the battle ground—tolerance and hate the combatants; and the progress of humanity the stake.
Thus we find ourselves with a serviceable summary of the current movement against speech, which in the PC view, has become a form of violence.
Now, some critics of my drawing an equivalence here might suggests that the paranoia of the pro-slavery activists was justified. After all, didn't the North eventually invade the South?
This would be a good argument if not for the fact that the war was not fought for the purposes of ending slavery — as defenders of the Southern Confederacy themselves often like to point out.
It was not abolitionist sentiment that lead to military action action against the South, but "unionism" and a anti-Southern reaction in the wake of Lincoln's successful gambit to goad the South into attacking Fort Sumter.
Prior to the attack on Sumter, a great many northerners had been sympathetic to southern grievances and to secession itself.
It is true that some abolitionists cynically latched on to the war effort because it served their purposes. To his shame, William Lloyd Garrison abandoned decades of apparently principled devotion to disunion and pacifism when it looked like he might get what he wanted through a war. But, it would be anachronistic and absurd to blame the war on 1830s Quakers who advocated for peaceful abolition — and who were facing a federal government headed by Jackson, a pro-slavery president. Moreover, it was localized insurrection, not invasion from the North, that the pro-slavery advocates feared. As was true right up until the Southern states seceded, the slave-state voting bloc in Congress held a solid veto on any attempt to pass nationwide emancipation — which would have required a super-majority.
"Hate Speech" as Crypto-Violence
The anti-abolitionist paranoia expressed in the 1830s is echoed today in the "speech is violence" position in which any opinion that expressed opposition to the current left wing orthodoxy is a form of cloaked support for violence against innocents.
In this view, any opposition to transgender bathrooms is nearly as bad as support for hangings of sexual eccentrics. Any opposition to mass immigration is only one small step from advocating for concentration camps for non-whites.
Whether or not this strategy will ultimately succeed will depend on the degree to which speech is accepted as a form of violence. Historically, when viewed properly, a "right" — in the United States, at least — has been limited to freedom from physical violence and coercion. This has included assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, trespassing, theft, and other identifiable physical manifestations of violence.
If this definition of "violence" is expanded, however, to include concepts such as hurt feelings, stress levels, or possible imagined violence at some point in the future allegedly resulting from certain opinions, then that would be revolutionary indeed. And disastrous for human freedom.
- 1. See Russel L. Riley, The Presidency and the Politics of Racial Inequality. Columbia University Press. 1999.
- 2. In terms of the non-violence of the abolitionists, it's worth noting that we're talking about an 1830s incident in this case. In the Journal of Libertarian Studies, in their article "Ambivalence, Ambiguity, and Contradiction: Garrisonian Abolitionists and Nonviolence" Curry and Goodheart write: "it is clear that the principles of nonviolence were still the dominant abolitionist credo in the 1830's and early 1840's. But between the Mexican War of 1846-1848 and the secession of the South in the winter of 1860-1861, pacifism declined in importance, and the call for a holy war against the evil of slavery increased in some abolitionist circles." (see: The Journal of Libertarian Studies Vol VI. Nos. 3-4 Summer/Fall 1982; https://mises.org/library/ambivalence-ambiguity-and-contradiction-garrisonian-abolitionists-and-nonviolence)
- 3. Pro-slavery sentiment accelerated after 1830, but anti-slavery sentiment was so prevalent in some areas of the South that Tennessee abolitionist John Rankin declared "it was safer to make an anti-slavery speech in the South than it became during the thirties to make the same speech in the North." See: "The Pioneer Anti-Slavery Press" byAsa Earl Martin in The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Mar., 1916), pp. 509-528


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What a funny coincidence. I guess all women named Sara Bronfman love asses…
(LONDON) In support of Moroccan donkey and mule charity Jarjeer Mules, a new 2021 calendar will be released in May 2020.
The calendar will comprise of photos taken by UK Photographer Sara Bronfman of the donkeys in the sanctuary. All proceeds will go towards supporting the work of Jarjeer Mules, which is a retirement home for working donkeys and mules in Rue d'Amsis in Marrakesh, Morocco.
In Morocco, donkeys are used for work and have few rights compared to horses, who are all owned by the King of Morocco and have to have regular health checks. Helping them, therefore, falls on local charities. The biggest one is The Donkey Sanctuary, which receives the most support. However, smaller organisations like Jarjeer get overlooked and find it hard to meet their high running costs.
Sara Bronfman, who is a photographer from Guildford, specializes in high-end weddings and other family events. This is the first time she has turned her hand to animal photography.
About the new calendar Sara Bronfman said:
'By producing this calendar, we will be able to not only support the vision and the mission behind the sanctuary but to also make a world of difference to the local working animals. Getting to know the donkeys and mules during the project was so much fun. Everything raised will go to feeding and caring for them in their retirement.'
Jarjer Mules serves as a retirement home, care centre, and family for them along the High Atlas foothills near Marrakech.
Set in a sprawling land of 6 hectares, the Jarjer community was developed by Susan Machin who runs it with her husband. Aside from their commitment to preserving the landscape in the locality and the way of life of the village which is steeped in traditions, they have also decided to do something for the often overlooked members of the local community – the local working donkeys and mules.
Susan Machin, founder of Jarjeer Mules, said:
'This is a fantastic idea to not only support the donkeys and mules but show them off to the world. They are beautiful animals and have unique personalities. Our monthly running costs are over 10,000 and so this really important and will help us carry on going for the future'
Caring for the old, disabled, and abused donkeys and mules is the main goal of the sanctuary. However, their work does not stop there. They have also been actively working with the local people and offering the necessary support not just to the sanctuary's equines but also to the members of the local community who want to know more about better equine care. They also take in stray local dogs.
The new 2021 calendar will be available to buy on donkeycalendar.co.uk and SaraBronfman.co.uk from the end of May. You can also join the mailing list and see pictures of the donkeys in the calendar by visiting the website. This unique gift idea is already attracting attention and is supporting a fantastic cause.
This Sara Bronfman, who was an heiress of the Seagram's liquor fortune, also loves asses. In fact, she donated more than $100 million for the care and feeding of just one ass.


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Minnesota Psychological Association Supports Marriage Equality
Psychology isn't just a heady area of study for intellectuals and Freud-worshippers; this April, psychology is now a tool to support marriage equality for the GLBT community. At their annual convention on April 20-21, the Minnesota Psychological Association officially released their formal statement opposing the constitutional marriage amendment. Dr. Marge Charmoli, the chair of the Marriage Equality Task Force, states, "As we all know, the discrimination of marriage inequality is the civil rights issue of our time. I believe that this is an opportunity for our community to learn about the unique and influential role that psychology is playing in this debate."
According to a press release from Dr. Charmoli, "The Minnesota Psychological Association has come out as being opposed to the constitutional marriage amendment which will appear on the ballot this fall. They have also come out in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. Their decision to take a stand on this issue is based on a solid base of scientific research which documents the harm of such anti-gay initiatives and provides support for marriage equality."
The MPA's Position Statement on the Proposed Constitutional Amendment on Marriage uses psychological studies and research to show that denying marriage equality is detrimental to the psychological health of GLBT people. According the the MPA's research, "The denial of civil marriage, including the creation of legal statuses such as civil unions and domestic partnerships, stigmatizes same-sex relationships, perpetuates the stigma historically attached to homosexuality, and reinforces prejudice against lesbian, gay, and bisexual people."
This denial of civil marriage, and the stress it causes, adds to what is called "minority stress" or "additional stress beyond that which is normally experienced by the heterosexual population." Minority stress may be relieved, the MPA suggests, by "policies supportive of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people's human rights."
The MPA's official Position Statement also provides evidence that there is no psychological difference between homosexual and heterosexual relationships. Simply stated, "People benefit by sharing their lives with and receiving support from their family, friends, and other people who are important to them…Many gay men and lesbians, like their heterosexual counterparts, desire to form stable, long-lasting, and committed intimate relationships and are successful in doing so."
Also, the MPA states, "Homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexual orientation that poses no inherent obstacle to leading a happy, healthy, and productive life, including the capacity to form healthy and mutually satisfying intimate relationships with another person of the same sex and to raise healthy and well-adjusted children, as documented by several professional organizations."
Through the accumulation of their data, the MPA has decided to oppose "the proposed amendment to the State of Minnesota constitution which would limit the definition of marriage to being between one man and one woman."
But this official opposition of the marriage amendment isn't the first time psychological associations have spoken out in support of marriage equality. In the past, the American Psychological Association has filed amicus briefs (official statements to be included in court cases to advocate for a particular legal change—in this case, marriage equality) in two Supreme Court decisions in California and Iowa. Notably, out of 45 amicus briefs filed in the 2008 California decision, the only one that was cited was that of the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Charmoli also notes, "In addition to those contributions, psychologists have provided expert witness testimony in the Prop 8 Trial to document the psychological harm that marriage inequality created for GLBT people. The work of those psychologists was heavily cited by Judge Walker in his decision to overturn Prop 8."
The support of the Minnesota Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association in the fight for marriage equality not only strengthens the movement, but it also adds pertinent scientific research to support marriage equality. With such logical and accredited evidence reinforcing the cause, it's difficult to understand why people are still against allowing all citizens to have access to the right to marry.


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Boston Pizza serves up $5 individual pizzas for its 50th birthday on August 12
08 Aug, 2014, 10:18 ET
08 Aug, 2014, 10:18 ET
Surprises and celebrations planned at locations across Canada
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 8, 2014 /CNW/ - Boston Pizza officially marks its 50th anniversary on Tuesday, August 12th, and to celebrate will offer guests their choice of any individual-size pizza for $5 all day. Individual-size or "Indy" pizzas are made-to-order on Boston Pizza's hand-pressed dough and available with numerous gourmet toppings and popular signature pizzas like Perogy, Boston Royal and the Meateor.
"When it comes to celebrating, we like to do it with our delicious pizza and we invite our guests to join us on August 12," said Mark Pacinda, president and CEO, Boston Pizza International. "Over the years some things have changed, but our gourmet pizza has been a mainstay since we opened our first location in Edmonton in 1964. Thousands of Canadians have celebrated their own birthdays and milestones at Boston Pizza and now it's our turn to invite them to our biggest celebration yet."
In addition to the $5 Indy pizza offer on August 12, Canadians should keep an eye out for special appearances by Boston Pizza's mascot, Lionel, in various locations across the country. The lovable, blue chef is joining in the birthday celebrations with some tasty surprises.
Earlier this summer, Boston Pizza launched a contest giving away 50 pizza parties (valued at $2,500) and a special anniversary menu featuring classic favourites such as Popeye Pizza and the Sombrero Pizza, as well as new food innovations including Cubano Pizza, Californian BLT Pizza and the Chocolate Doughcano. Contest entry codes and the anniversary menu are available until August 17.
About Boston Pizza
Boston Pizza International Inc. is Canada's No. 1 casual dining brand with more than 350 restaurants in Canada. In 2014 Boston Pizza celebrates 50 great years since opening our first location in Edmonton, Alberta in 1964. Annually, Boston Pizza serves more than 40 million guests. The company has been recognized as a Platinum Member of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies. Boston Pizza believes that strong role models inspire kids to be great, and in 2014, the Boston Pizza Foundation created Future Prospects to help support organizations that mentor kids to reach their full potential. Boston Pizza International Inc. is located in Richmond, B.C. and has regional offices in Mississauga, Ontario and Laval, Quebec. For more information, visit http://www.bostonpizza.com.
Image with caption: "Boston Pizza's mascot, Lionel is out celebrating Boston Pizza's 50th birthday (CNW Group/Boston Pizza International Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140808_C3570_PHOTO_EN_4735.jpg
SOURCE: Boston Pizza International Inc.
For further information: Perry Schwartz, Director of Communications, Boston Pizza International, 905-361-3616, [email protected]; Alexandra Peco, High Road, 416-644-2298, [email protected]


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When O'Reilly wants to attack somebody or something, he sends out his creepy stalker Jesse Watters whose carefully edited videos serve to make those who are interviewed, especially scantily clad large breasted women, look stupid. While ostensibly just a vehicle for humor, Watters' topics, venues, and questions are extensions of his master's world view and serve to validate O'Reilly's ideological biases. The commentary of his subjects thus becomes the subject of scathing criticism (think Brown U students) in O'Reilly's follow up discussion with Watters. O'Reilly clearly has no affection for the ACLU which he thinks is a "terrorist group." So last night, in showing that there is no depth to which he will not descend, Watters might have clipped video in order to show that a female ACLU member supports infanticide and, ta-da, validate O'Reilly's hatred of the ACLU and pro-choice women. An anti-choice message on "partial birth abortion" was also included. Pretty slick...
Watters traveled to Princeton so that he could interview attendees at an ACLU conference. His audience was very savvy. When he asked one woman if she supported "the war on terror," she said, accurately, that this was a "loaded question." After ACLU Director Tony Romero said that the ACLU has no position on foreign policy, Watters worked in a favorite O'Reilly meme: "You're fighting the war on Christmas harder than the war on terror." Watters tried to show that a law professor, who said that captured ISIS members should be accorded attorneys, was "bending over backwards to make things more comfortable for ISIS barbarians." When another person, in responding to a question on ISIS, opined that there are Christian extremists in America, Watters, who had no problem with O'Reilly's attack on an abortion provider who was eventually murdered, took umbrage with this. He said that this wasn't a "valid comparison." His subject snapped back, "Well, the people who are killed are just as dead."
There was some discussion on penalties for drug possession. In channeling O'Reilly's attitudes towards the war on drugs, Watters told a woman, who advocated for reasonable sentencing, that she was "wrong." She didn't think that his "but I like you so I'm gonna let that slide" comment was amusing. The conversation turned to abortion. He asked the aforementioned woman if "there should be any restrictions place on abortion in this country." The video cut to another woman who "challenged" pro-lifers to adopt unwanted children.
Here's where things got interesting. Watters then asked if the first woman supported "partial birth abortion" which is not the correct medical term, but one made up by the National Right to Life Committee. After what appeared to be a cut, the woman said "infanticide has been, you know, a quiet but well known thing." Watters said "that doesn't make it right." In the Fox Nation transcript, this is how the comment appeared: "infanticide [in the form of partial-birth abortions] has been a quiet but well-known thing." But because we only see the final cut, we can't say for sure that the woman was equating abortion with infanticide. Watters is trying to portray the infanticide comment as her answer to his question about so called partial birth abortion. But we can't say that it immediately followed because there seemed to be a cut in the video. Rather than a response, the comment seemed like part of something else. However, he gives the impression that not only does the woman use the term "infanticide" for "partial birth abortion"- but that she is uncaring about it. And coincidentally, that is exactly how O'Reilly loves to portray "baby killing" pro-choice women.
During the follow-up O'Reilly dismissed the ACLU folks as not credible. Mini-me, on cue, reinforced the meme: "You don't want these people running things." (Right, we want ideological zealots like O'Reilly) Watters smirked as he claimed that "they want to give lawyers to ISIS" and "release ISIS butchers after the war" [that's what we do with POW's Jesse]. He was appalled by one woman's comment that drug offenders should get job training which is "crazy stuff." O'Reilly saved the main propaganda message for last: "But the worst was the infanticide lady because she was basically saying, hey it happens [Watters chimed in "it happens'] so it's OK." Watters provided validation: "There's a gray area and that's really touchy and I really didn't know where to go with that one."
"Infanticide Lady" - really? Again, the video looks edited but I can't say for sure. But if it was, forget pretty slick - how bout pretty disgusting?
BTW, I'm a card carrying member of the ACLU and proud of it!


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- Internship, Sudlersville Elementary School
- Sports Writer, The Elm
- Relay for Life
- Varsity Field Hockey
Head of the Class
Kayla ZapcicClass of 2021 • Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Internship, Sudlersville Elementary School
- Sports Writer, The Elm
- Relay for Life
- Varsity Field Hockey
Since the beginning of her sophomore year, she has been interning at Sudlersville Elementary School in Queen Anne's County, shadowing and student-teaching in both kindergarten and first grade classrooms. After being accepted into the program at the beginning of her junior year, she is on track to earn her teaching certification in the state of Maryland, alongside her human development major.
Working closely with the education department, Kayla is grateful for the guidance of her professors. "When it comes to finding your placement for your elementary school field experience," she explains, "[the department] is very diligent, making sure you have everything you need."
After finishing most of her distribution requirements, she began focusing on her education course load throughout her sophomore year, while simultaneously shadowing in a kindergarten classroom. "I love bringing the values and concepts we learn at Washington College to real life in the classroom," she adds.
The next year, in a first-grade classroom, Kayla put her teaching skills to the test - writing and teaching her own lesson plans independently. Each week in her Processes and Acquisition of Reading course, she writes a lesson plan, three of which will be taught throughout the course of the semester to her first-graders. Bringing her own lessons to the front of the classroom is nerve-wracking, yet exciting. "Using the Maryland State Standards, I get to think of my own lessons and create fun, learning activities to bring to my class."
In the education department, seniors are expected to teach full-time throughout their spring semester, a plunge that Kayla is thrilled to take. Immersing herself in the classroom environment, she can't imagine a better way to prepare for her future as an elementary school teacher.
Back on campus, Kayla is consistently improving her teaching approach, particularly through her coursework. In Professor Clarke-Vivier's Educational Psychology course, she learned new approaches to teaching, particularly as it relates to a student's well-being and emotional health.
"We learn about teaching effectively in a classroom, while also making sure we don't neglect the human aspect of a student," she explains, "He/She is a human being with thoughts and feelings of his/her own, which we must take into consideration."
Apart from teaching, Kayla is a Shorewoman at heart. Standing in the crowd at last year's War on the Shore game, she truly felt the camaraderie on campus. Hundreds of students filled the stands as Goose Nation's men's lacrosse team fought Salisbury on the field. Regardless of the loss, everyone was unified and excited, and that's a moment she'll never forget.
Kayla's Four Year Plan
Year 1Favorite ClassGeneral Psychology
Imagine taking a course with four different professors, each teaching their own specialty within the same discipline. That was General Psychology for Kayla and her classmates, an experience like none other. "It was really cool to be exposed to so many different teaching styles," she explains, "while simultaneously knowing that you're being taught by the best in that field at Washington College." At the culmination of this class, the foundation was laid; Kayla knew she wanted to pursue a minor in psychology.
Year 2Making the Transition Education Internship, Kindergarten Classroom
As a sophomore, she had already finished the brunt of her distribution requirements; shifting her focus to education, Kayla was ready to begin shadowing in a classroom. Along with her education classes, she began interning in a kindergarten classroom. "The combination of these two things really solidified the fact that I wanted to be a teacher."
Year 3Learning b y DoingWriting Lessons
In the education department, real-world experiences are limitless. As an intern in a first grade classroom, Kayla is bringing her coursework to life. Writing lesson plans in her Processes and Acquisition of Reading class, she will teach three of them over the course of her first semester. Using Maryland State Standards as a guide, Kayla is thrilled to stand in front of the class, teaching on her own, while engaging the students. "[This internship] is setting me up to be comfortable in front of a classroom," she says, which is an indispensable skill to learn so early in her career.
Year 4Looking Forward ToStudent Teaching
In the spring of her senior year, Kayla will be in the classroom every day, student-teaching full-time. She is thrilled to take on this new responsibility, learning hands-on with her students, while being mentored by the teachers at Sudlersville Elementary School, as well as her education professors. After graduation, she plans to work in Maryland as an elementary school teacher. "In my experience so far, I really like teaching first grade."


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Rewritten Headlines: Romney to Baboonson April 14, 2012 at 12:01 am
News, tactless, the way it should be. This is the Rewritten News!
Real: Can Romney Beat the GOP Gloom?
Rewritten: Millionaire Leads Depressed Millionaires
Real: Skyrim Gets Kinect Intergration
Rewritten: Gamers to Have More Free Hands to Shove in Doritos and Mountain Dew
Real: Nashville Predators' Shea Weber Fined $2,500 for Head Slam
Rewritten: Hockey Player Fined for Pleasing Fans
Real: Employers Not Liable if Workers Skip Breaks, Court Rules
Rewritten: Employers to Make Work Slightly More Shitty
Real: Holding a Gun May Make You Look Bigger, Stronger
Rewritten: Holding a Gun Increases Penis Size
Real: NASA Kind of, Sort of, Maybe Found Life on Mars 36 Years Ago
Rewritten: NASA as Efficient as Other Government Agencies
Real: North Korea's Rocket Launch Ends in Failure
Rewritten: North Korea Can't Get it Up
Real: Buffet Rule or Not, Most Rich People Already Pay
Rewritten: Rich People Own More Reporters Than You Think
Real: Baboons Can Recognize Written Words, Study Finds
Rewritten: Jersey Shore Cast Not as Dim as Previously Thought


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Book NET Ministries at your parish or school
Contact Our Office to schedule a retreat with NET
Virtue based learning, character building, ministering to where the youth are...
Learn More
The Department of Youth Ministry serves the 40 parishes of the Diocese of Santa Rosa by supporting their ministry among young and older adolescents in grades 6-12 through leadership development and needs-based services. Its primary focus is to assist and encourage parish youth ministry leaders with growing a comprehensive Catholic youth ministry. Its programs and services are derived from the goals, dimensions and components of comprehensive youth ministry as outlined in the document: Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (1997).
Bi-lingual college student to assist with social media and event support.
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
How can we better serve you?
Assist with program registration?
Prayer requests?


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OPEN THREAD: Sailor Moon Viz Dub
on September 12, 2014 at 12:00 am
Let's discuss Viz Media's new dub of the 90s Sailor Moon anime! Episodes 1-23 were released on Hulu last weekend. Did you watch the Moonlight Party slumber party stream? What do you think of the new voice cast?
(I think this might be implied for a 20-year-old anime, but here there be spoilers!)
Watch Sailor Moon online: Hulu


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It turns out that actually, there are so many things we can get as the alternative solution for us that we can take from our surrounding as the source. Right now, Gobatak with the creative team try to find some of the solutions that can be applied in daily lives.
How to Wear the "Tudung", the Hood of Karo Women
"Tudung" (Hood) is the headband which is used by the Karo women. It made of the traditional fabric of Karo, well known as Uis. Uis has so many types and design. As time progress, it has spread out and has different name in some part of Karo land. Well, now we find the different name for Uis at each different place in Karo. Each name of Uis has so meant for the user.
Pinang Tree: A Must Item for Independence Day of Indonesia
Every years, people celebrate the Independence Day with their own ways, and they always have great idea how to celebrate it. Just similarly this year, to celebrate the 67th years of Indonesia Independence Day, people in Kelurahan Kristen, Pematangsiantar, have their own way to celebrate. They had so many events to celebrate it, but yea, as usual, "Climb the Pinang Tree" was the great moment, that everybody waited for.
Have Fun on Independence Day: Eggplant Soccer
Indonesian have so many ways to celebrate the Independence Day. Like this one. I don't know did you ever watch this one, but in our Pematangsiantar, this is one of the great thing that we took to celebrate our 67th Independence Day. This is the unique competition, where mothers play soccer, with the eggplant that tied round their waist, they have to use this eggplant to "kick the ball and make goal". Guess what. This is one of the funny competition that mos love. This can entertain and you can see smiles and laughs on their face -even the participants laughed-. This year, this competition was joint by the same mothers with the last 2011.
Two German Joint "Swim to Share", Acrossed Toba Lake for Funding Sopo Belajar
Not the indigenous only attracted to the effort in building Learning House in Samosir. There are two foreigner attracted about this event. They are Germany, Annette Horschmann and Thomas Heinle. Their participation in this event is worth to be pride for Bataknese, especially those live in Samosir.
Fitri, the Youngest Participant of "Swim to Share"
Parapat-The event acrossing Toba Lake for getting fund to build Learning House in Samosir was at Saturday, 21 of July 2012. There were five participants and they were success acrossing Toba Lake. They took about 5 hours long to across about 9 km, from Pantai Bebas Parapat to Tuktuk.
Three Times "Horas" Began "Swim to Share"
Parapat-"Horas" that yelled as three times started the swimming accross Toba Lake on Saturday, 21 of July 2012. There are 5 participants there, Annette Horschmann (44), Thomas Heinle (49), Togu Simorangkir (36), Fitri Gultom (23), and Ronald Gembira Manurung (32).
Togu Simorangkir: Five Times Got Nerves Pain For Fund Collecting For Education
Parapat-You may think this Togu Simorangkirs action is a litle crazy. And actually, you are right. Gather with 4 participants, he acrossed Toba Lake on Saturday, 21 of July 2012. He did it for getting fund to build the Sopo Belajar in Samosir. Among those participants, there are 2 of them are Germany, Annette Horschmann (44) and Thomas Heinle (49). Beside of them, there are 2 others, Fitri Gultom-the youngest one- and Ronald Gembira Manurung.
Mejan, the Mystic Sculpture from Pakpak
West Pakpak – Pakpak people has their own handicraft, well known as "Mejan". Mejan are the engraving sculptures which are considered have magic power. And of course, Pakpak people are so proud having Mejan.
"Lae Mbilulu" Waterfall: What a Great Wonderful Waterfall is This!!!
After our long journey from Sidikalang –needs 2 hours long to reach this place from Sidikalang-, we arrive in West Pakpak Region. We have to pass both of ravine and canyons, completed with the sharp turns along the road so that we can get into the place. Then, we found the written sign: "Objek Wisata Air Terjun Lae Mbilulu" (read: "Lae Mbilulu Waterfall") on the roadside. By seeking that, Yetty Aritonang decided to visit that waterfall. Yes, she was interested in it.


text: Sections View Full Chapter Figures Tables Videos Annotate Full Chapter Figures Tables Videos Supplementary Content +++ INTRODUCTION ++ The joint lubrication was not what it was when I was competing, and I decided that not having arthritis or rheumatism for the rest of my life was a lot more important to me than returning to the track. Edwin Moses, former world and Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion, on his decision to retire ++ Osteoarthritis (OA) is increasingly recognised to be a heterogeneous disorder that can present with pain and functional limitations and affects the entire joint, including cartilage, synovial membrane, subchondral bone, ligaments and periarticular musculature.1 It has traditionally been seen as a condition of the elderly but is increasingly presenting at a younger age.2 Osteoarthritis has affected some of the most famous athletes of all time, from golfers Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. The previous edition of Clinical Sports Medicine quoted comedian Jack Benny as saying 'I don't deserve this award, but then I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either'. The question is: to what extent is OA preventable? Many sports carry a higher risk of joint injury and therefore supporting the older athlete to remain actively involved in sports and their activities of daily living is key to their long-term health. ++ The most recent definition of OA proposed by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) is: ++ … a disorder involving movable joints characterised by cell stress and extracellular matrix degradation initiated by micro- and macro-injury that activates maladaptive repair responses including pro-inflammatory pathways of innate immunity. The disease manifests first as a molecular derangement (abnormal joint tissue metabolism) followed by anatomic, and/or physiologic derangements (characterised by cartilage degradation, bone remodelling, osteophyte formation, joint inflammation and loss of normal joint function), that can culminate in illness.3 ++ It is anticipated that this definition will continue to be subject to regular refinement with advances in scientific evidence.3, 4 ++ Recent studies have attempted to classify OA into different phenotypes5, 6 and subpopulations,7 as a means of categorising clinical presentations, including aetiological factors, risk factors, mechanisms of disease and treatment effects. The most recent systematic review of knee OA phenotypes discusses the clinical relevance in each subgroup, with the subgroups being clinical phenotypes, imaging phenotypes and laboratory phenotypes.6 The extension of these definitions to other joints affected by OA is yet to be determined. +++ EPIDEMIOLOGY ++ The total burden of disease for OA increased substantially between 1990 and 2015, with disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) increasing by 35%.8 Osteoarthritis also has the highest prevalence among all joint diseases, and with increasing trends in obesity and joint injury—which are the two most important risk factors for OA—these figures will increase further. A systematic review concluded that individuals with obesity and previous knee trauma had a 2.6-fold and 3.9-fold risk of developing knee OA, ... Your Access profile is currently affiliated with '[InstitutionA]' and is in the process of switching affiliations to '[InstitutionB]'. Please click 'Continue' to continue the affiliation switch, otherwise click 'Cancel' to cancel signing in. Get Free Access Through Your Institution Learn how to see if your library subscribes to McGraw Hill Medical products. Subscribe: Institutional or Individual Sign In Username Error: Please enter User Name Password Error: Please enter Password Forgot Password? Forgot Username? Sign in via OpenAthens Sign in via Shibboleth


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Great, if lengthy, post by Scott Heiferman on the 37signals blog, looking back at the evolution of Meetup, particularly around the critical point where Meetup started charging meeting organisers.
According to Heiferman, the site lost around 95% of its activity. "Now imagine you're the hot startup - people forget we were the hot thing that was on 60 Minutes - and all of a sudden, in a flash, you see 95% of your activity go away. I mean, that's the backlash in its most visceral form. It was like, 'Oh, man what did you do? What do we do?' We never really wavered seriously, but it's a punch in the gut. It's saying, 'We were touching this many lives and now we're touching not many lives, and oh, everyone hates us.'
Sticking through this kind of drop in activity takes some balls. And the right metrics:
"[Before, p]eople would be sitting in their underwear starting a Meetup about something. And then 99% of the Meetups weren't any good. They weren't successful. They didn't have enough oomph put into them. The organizer wasn't in to it."
"Yeah, we lost 95% of our activity but now we have much, much, more going on than we ever did before and half the Meetups are successful, as opposed to 1-2% being successful."
Price is a quality filter. And, as an added bonus, it pays the bills. Starting to charge when your product has previously been free is a hard decision, and can cost you a lot of users or generate great outrage if you mishandle it, but sometimes it can be exactly what you need.
If you read this far, you should follow me on twitter here.


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La Veta
La Veta sits on the eastern side of La Veta Pass through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and at the northern opening of the Cuchara River Valley. A busy trading center a century ago, La Veta is now known for its community of artists and ranchers and breathtaking scenery.
La Veta may be small and laid-back, but it's also the art hub of the Spanish Peaks Region. Galleries featuring local, national, and international artists dot La Veta's quaint Main Street. Visitor and locals are also encouraged to explore the class offerings at the La Veta School for the Arts, where well-known, respected instructors teach anything from photography and painting to more unique offerings like Navajo sand painting and bronze clay jewelry making.
The Great Dikes of the Spanish Peaks—large, vertical granite formations that radiate outward from the Spanish Peaks—surround La Veta. The numerous walking and biking trails in La Veta showcase the town's scenery, which is unique to this pocket of Colorado.
Visit La Veta in July for the Spanish Peaks Music Festival or during the first weekend in October to experience La Veta Oktoberfest, a more than 30-year-old tradition featuring a German Biergarten and dancing in the streets.
La Veta History
In 1862, a former sutler with the US Army at Fort Garland, Col. John M. Francisco, and Judge Henry Daigle built Fort Francisco on land purchased from the Vigil-St. Vrain Land Grant, significantly south and west of most of the San Luis Valley-bound traffic.
Originally, the Fort was a complete square built around an open plaza in the center. The only gateway opened to the north. The Fort was built of adobe one foot thick, with dirt floors and dirt roofs with parapets for defense.
As more settlers moved into this beautiful and fertile valley, the Fort increased in importance as shelter from Indians and as the commercial center for the area. The first Post Office, named Spanish Peaks, opened in the Plaza in 1871. By 1875 the Indian threat was almost completely gone.
In 1876, the narrow-gauge railroad came through La Veta several blocks north of the Fort on its way westward through the newly surveyed La Veta Pass. In 1877 the permanent rail depot was built beside the rails and the business community slowly moved north to it.
Cool fact: For many years, this stretch of line between La Veta and Wagon Creek was the highest in the world. The old grade can still be seen to the west of La Veta and higher up across Old La Veta Pass. The old depot building at the summit is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The 1877 La Veta Depot that stands next to Main Street by the tracks was brought down from the top of Old La Veta Pass and installed in town where it was refurbished and converted into the new La Veta Town Hall.
La Veta
P.O. Box 32
La Veta Colorado 81055
Google Maps Directions
art classes art galleries dikes history la veta oktoberfest spanish peaks music festival


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Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 12:56 - Commentary, Photo of the DayEvery time I turn around it seems like my profession is coming under assault. In many ways this is good, the rise of digital cultural and the ubiquity of information will turn out to be the best things to happen to journalism in a century. At the same time the corporate world which has profited so much from the hard work of those on the ground is looking to exploit us even further as the U.K.s Guardian tells us.
Smile! Vienna 2008 © Damaso Reyes
Germany's bestselling newspaper is looking to expand without the expense of actually hiring new reporters.
Bild has joined up with discount supermarket chain Lidl to sell a basic digital camera to a legion of citizen journalists, who the tabloid hopes will contribute images to its coverage.
"We can't cover everything," said Michael Paustian, a Bild managing editor. "We think it is an advance for journalism."
The pocket-sized camera has 2GB of memory, can shoot still pictures and video, and costs 69.99 (£60). It comes with software and a USB port that allows "reader-reporters" to upload content directly to editors who will be assigned to review it for publication.
The story goes on to tell us that the paper may pay for the best photos it receives. Personally I dont think this project will last long. Professional journalists have professional standards that they should, though dont allows, adhere to. Citizen journalists have no such obligation is it wont be long before a fake makes its way into this newspaper.
More importantly it is a sign of where corporate media wants to go. Professional and meaningful journalism costs money and the corporations increasingly dont want to pay. Where this leaves people like me, I cant say .
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Monday, December 8, 2008, 13:47 - Commentary, Photo of the DayTheres trouble happening in Greece and its not going away. After police shot a teenage boy dead in the streets of Athens last Saturday night riots broke out first in the capital and have now spread throughout the peninsula as we learn from the International Herald Tribune.
May 1st, 2007 in Berlin © Damaso Reyes
The riots began hours after the boy was shot during a confrontation between the police and youths in the Exarchia neighborhood of central Athens, a district of bars, bookshops and restaurants where many young leftists live and socialize.
The youths regularly clash with the police, whom they view as symbols of the establishment. In most cases, the confrontations are relatively contained and end at the gates of universities with the young people holding off the police with gasoline bombs, rocks and slingshots.
But the speed with which the riots spread over the weekend and the ferocity of the protests seemed to take the government by surprise. The police nationwide were not put on alert until Sunday night, only after fires had destroyed dozens of businesses, including a high-end department store in central Athens.
Throughout the clashes, rioters used text messages and Web sites to organize and communicate their responses to the police and other security forces.
Events like this do not happen out of the blue. Clearly there has been a great deal of animosity building up among the Greek youth for many years for this to have spread so quickly and so far. How the government chooses to deal with the incident and its aftermath may well decide if it stays in power.
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Friday, December 5, 2008, 13:31 - Commentary, Photo of the DayYou can say a lot about the Swiss but they are hardly predictable, which is why I like them so much! There was an important vote over the weekend about drug decriminalization and the vote was split as the Associated Press reports.
Playing in the snow. © Damaso Reyes
The world's most comprehensive legalized heroin program has become permanent, with overwhelming approval from Swiss voters who simultaneously rejected the decriminalization of marijuana.
The heroin program, started in 1994, is offered in 23 centers across Switzerland. It has helped eliminate scenes of large groups of drug users injecting drugs openly in parks that marred Swiss cities in the 1980s and 1990s and is credited with reducing crime and improving the health and daily lives of addicts.
Sixty-eight percent of the 2.26 million Swiss voters casting ballots Sunday approved making the heroin program permanent.
By contrast, around 63.2 percent of voters voted against the marijuana proposal, which was based on a separate citizens' initiative to decriminalize the consumption of marijuana and growing the plant for personal use.
Its interesting to me that heroin is less stigmatized than marijuana but an important first step has been made when it comes to harder drugs. Of all the things that increasingly cash strapped governments can spend money on the War on Drugs is perhaps the least wise. It will be interesting to see if any other European countries take a cue from our Swiss friends.
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Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 12:28 - Commentary, Photo of the DayGreenland recently voted for more independence from their colonial overlords the Danish. The last vestiges of European colonialism are falling by the wayside as the worlds largest island begins the process which may lead toward independence.
The Power of the Polls. © Damaso Reyes
On Tuesday night, fireworks burst over Greenland's capital city of Nuuk, as election results showed that an overwhelming majority of residents of the isolated island voted for increased independence from its former colonial ruler, Denmark. The final result was no surprise -- polls projected correctly that 75 percent would vote in favor of the proposal -- but residents were no less happy to celebrate the historic achievement.
Prime Minister Hans Enoksen has said that the vote is a stepping stone on the way to full autonomy that would end over three centuries without sovereignty and give Greenland's Inuit population a presence on the world stage for the first time. Der Spiegel reported.
There is little doubt that even if Greenland becomes independent that it will retain close ties to Denmark and Europe. Nevertheless it is an important moment for the residents of an island who were colonized the same year Americans threw off the Imperial yoke 1776.
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Monday, December 1, 2008, 13:24 - Commentary, Photo of the DayWhen talking about racism in Europe there is rarely an opportunity for optimism but a recent report from researchers at Leipzig University and reported by our friends at Spiegel Online conclude that racism and xenophobia in Germany have actually declined over the past few years. As always there is cause for concern
Not really a solution Vienna 2008 © Damaso Reyes
The final report, called "Movement in the Middle," found a decline in all categories overall -- with some alarming exceptions.
In "hostility to foreigners" the leading states were Saxony-Anhalt (39.3 percent), Bavaria (39.1 percent) and Brandenburg (34.6 percent). Those states also happened to lead in "chauvinism" (Bavaria 30.4 percent, Brandenburg 24.5 percent), but it was Bavaria that distinguished itself in the "anti-Semitism" category, with 16.6 percent, above Thüringia and Baden-Württemberg (12.9 and 13.3 percent respectively).
So progress is being made in Germany but clearly there is still room for improvement. The challenge will only become greater over time as the need for immigrant labor will continue to grow. How Germany and Europe meets this challenge will ultimately define whether or not Europe succeeds in the 21st century.
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Friday, November 28, 2008, 12:55 - Commentary, Photo of the DayI hope all my American friends had a happy Thanksgiving, I know I did. In Amsterdam they arent so happy as we learn from Reuters
Legalize it! The Hague 2005 © Damaso Reyes
The Netherlands will ban the sale and cultivation of all hallucinogenic "magic" mushrooms from next week, the latest target of a country seeking to shed its "anything goes" image.
The Dutch government proposed the ban in April, citing the dangerous behavioural effects of magic mushrooms following the death of a French teenager who jumped from an Amsterdam bridge in 2007 after consuming the hallucinogenic fungus.
Of course if this were really the problem the best thing to ban would be alcohol. The number of drunk driving and accidental deaths, not to mention embarrassing late night phone calls, exceed the number of mushroom related deaths by far. Of course it is just a matter of perspective and by making magic mushrooms illegal it is doubtful that demand will all of a sudden end. They will simply become more expensive and help fuel crime. For decades The Netherlands was a leader in harm reduction and decriminalization and it is sad to see them take a step backwards. Hopefully they will look closely at the results of this new ban and if the data warrants it repeal it down the line. But as we all know it is easier to pass laws than to repeal them.
In other news I will be posting only three days a week for the month of December. Not only is it my birthday on the 11th, but numerous holidays, not to mention grant application deadlines, will keep me pretty busy. I hope you still swing by every one in a while!
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 16:18 - Commentary, Photo of the DayWe have concentrated a lot on racism and discrimination in Western Europe but of course the problem is not so neatly contained as we learn from our good friends at Der Spiegel online in an article about anti-immigrant violence in the Czech Republic.
The writing is STILL on the wall. Barcelona 2005.
Czech police battled hundreds of far-right rioters armed with an array of weapons north of Prague on Monday in a successful attempt to prevent them from entering a Roma neighborhood.
The riot took place in the northern town of Litvinov, which lies 110 kilometers (68 miles) northwest of Prague. The estimated 500 members of the far-right Workers' Party had gathered for a march in the town before suddenly turning off the approved route toward Janov, a section of the town with a large Roma community.
Racism and violence against foreigners continues in many E.U. member states and the governments that have the worst problems need to do the most. What really needs to happen is an open and honest debate about the pros and cons of immigration. Its a hard conversation to have but the leaders of the European Union need to step up to the plate, and soon
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Monday, November 24, 2008, 15:07 - Commentary, Photo of the DayAll of you Francophiles who have long worried about English dominating Europe, especially its culture need not fear. As an article in the New York Times explained that a new digital library of European Culture has emerged and the French seem to have conquered it!
Vive la France! Paris 2008.
But when the new site, called Europeana, begins life on Thursday, more than half of its two million items will come from just one of the 27 countries in the European Union: France.
"So comprehensive is Frances cultural dominance over this cyberspace outpost that other countries are having their own history written for them in French, of course.
So intense was the demand that the servers crashed within a day of the site opening (check back in December). But what this tells me is that the diversity that makes Europe so special is alive and well even as the Union grows stronger
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 13:48 - Commentary, Photo of the DayOfficial reports are usually pretty boring and dont tell us much interesting but the European Commission has come out with a recent one that the International Herald Tribune tells us supports the idea that immigrants are good for Western European Economies.
Waiting for acceptance Berlin 2006
Despite heavy currents of migration among East Europeans over the past decade, their increased presence in Western countries has done virtually nothing to alter local job prospects or wages, according to a European Union report on Tuesday.
As a result, those nations that still restrict workers from Eastern Europe should abandon those curbs, the European Commission said.
The report essentially concluded that worries that the "Polish plumber" would displace West European jobs were ill founded.
In fact, the report said, migration "contributed significantly to overall economic growth and employment expansion in the EU." The report even suggested that some Eastern nations had paid a heavier price in terms of brain drain and social upheaval than Western nations who received an influx. In Poland, for example, people talk of the "EU orphan," or child brought up by relatives because both parents are working abroad, Stephen Castle writes.
This backs up an idea that Frau Bock, the director of an NGO that helps immigrants and asylum seekers in Vienna told me. She explained that people dont give up their lives back home to come to Austria for no good reason. They seek a better life and desperately seek to become part of the society to which they have emigrated. But old prejudices die hard and there are still far too many people in Europe who see immigration as a threat, even when all evidence points to the contrary.
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Monday, November 17, 2008, 14:17 - Personal, CommentarySorry that I havent been around for the past week but my very good friend Mark Ferguson died last week after a battle with cancer. He will be greatly missed and my thoughts are with his family.
Mark in Action! Wheaton Village 2006 © Damaso Reyes
We met ten years ago when I was still a student at NYU. Needing to complete some elective credits I decided to try my hand at glass blowing and fell in love. After taking a few classes I was offered the chance to become a teaching assistant and one of the instructors I helped was Mark. I helped teach a number of classes with him and we became good friends over the years. His sense of humor and endless curiosity about the world are the things I will miss the most. His kindness and humility are the traits I will most try to emulate.
Mark at Sleepy Hollow 2008 © Damaso Reyes
I have very few close friends and Mark was one of the oldest and dearest. I will miss going with him to the Russian and Turkish Baths on a cold Sunday morning. I will miss having Thai food with his wife and children. I will miss his smile and how he never failed to play Devils advocate. He was patient and kind, two qualities the world needs more of.
Hayden and Mark Brooklyn 2007 © Damaso Reyes
During his illness he never gave up; never complained about his lot in life and even accepted help, something difficult for such a strong and independent man. If we could all live the way that he died we would be remembered well.
During the past few months I had a chance to spend a lot of time with Mark. Every other week I would pick him up from chemotherapy and when he was feeling up to it we hung out watching movies or even going for a walk. I remember wandering very slowly through the Village looking for a store that sold walking sticks. We never found what we were looking for but I remember his determination even in the face of death. As hard as it was to see him weaken over the past few months I was so happy that I got to spend the time with him that I did. I only wish it had been more.
Mark, Leah, Eleanor and Hayden in Brooklyn 2008 © Damaso Reyes
Mark, I love you and will think about you often. Take care
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 16:07 - Commentary, Photo of the DayAs we discussed yesterday there have been all kinds of reactions to Obamas election. In an interesting story in The Guardian we get to hear from Trevor Phillips head of the U.K.s equality watchdog.
Shout it out! London 2005 © Damaso Reyes
"If Barack Obama had lived here I would be very surprised if even somebody as brilliant as him would have been able to break through the institutional stranglehold that there is on power within the Labour party."
Europe has to come to terms with its minorities, not as an inconvenient problem that wont go away but as an important part of society that has a great deal to offer. That certainly means tacking institutional and societal racism. But it also means a frank and open discussion about how immigration is changing the face of European society. We have to address peoples fears, both the real and the irrational and find a way to try to bring people together because despite the fondest wishes of some on the right they aint goin home
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Monday, November 10, 2008, 15:54 - Commentary, Photo of the DayThere are two kinds of people: those who love mirrors, stopping at every one they see in order to check their appearance and those who do everything they can to avoid them. The lens is a kind of mirror too, holding up an image of ourselves, often one that we would rather not see.
Mirror, Mirror. Vienna 2008 © Damaso Reyes
The election last week of Barack Obama serves as a kind of mirror as well. Americans, even those who didnt support Obama see his victory as an important milestone that deserves to be celebrated. Around the world the cheers have come. Of course there are always exceptions.
Der Spiegel tells us about how one prominent Austrian television personality viewed the American election.
I wouldn't want the Western world to be directed by a black man. When you say that is a racist remark: right, without a doubt."
Americans are "racists, now as before, and it must be going very badly for them that they so convincingly ... send a black man, and a black, very good-looking woman, into the White House," Klaus Emmerich said.
This would be funny if it were in a satirical newspaper like The Onion which did run a very funny article titled Black Man gets Nations Worst Job. But it wasnt.
Then we have our good friend Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy who the New York Times reports:
amiably called the first African-American president-elect in United States history young, handsome and suntanned.
Clearly there are many in Europe who would like to go back to the good old days before immigration, presumably sometime before the rise of the Roman republic I imagine. Both Austria and Italy are having problems dealing with immigration and xenophobia ao it is not so surprising that these comments come from these nations. Of course these two men dont speak for the entire population. That said, they are indicators of who a not insubstantial percentage of the population feel. The question is how can we move past old prejudices and into a society that is reflective of the diversity of our world?
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 12:18 - Events, Commentary, Photo of the DayOur time for change has come.
Hope for Europe as well. Vienna 2008 © Damaso Reyes
Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive. So said the New York Times today. Clearly this is a historic moment in American politics but one that I believe will serve as a symbol to Europe as well.
American elected the son of an immigrant from Africa. A member of a minority that makes up just 12% of the population. Today he has become the very face of our nation, the embodiment of our hopes and dreams. This is a powerful statement about what kind of nation America truly is and the kind of place it hopes to become.
In Vienna and Paris; Berlin and Rome there are millions of young men and women just like Barack Obama. Young boys and girls who want to take part in the fullness of their nations lives but for many reasons cannot. If the nations of Europe are to live up to their own ideals this must change. As in America it wont be easy but Europeans must begin to see each other not simply as decedents but as aspirants to a common dream of a better future. And that future includes people of all races and heritages.
For many months, we've been teased, even derided for talking about hope. But we always knew that hope is not blind optimism. It's not ignoring the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path.
It's not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight. Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it and to fight for it. President Elect Barack Obama in January 2008.
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 06:29 - Events, Commentary
Yes We Did...
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Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 15:21 - Commentary, Photo of the DayI woke up this morning ready to vote. When I went outside it was a warm, lovely fall day, the kind that reminds you fondly of summer. When I was a kid I used to love these days although I hated the fact that I had to waste one of the last fine days of the year in school.
In the shadow of history © Damaso Reyes
Today I went back to my old elementary school to cast my ballot. It seemed like this day would never come but it finally has and I was quite happy to have a chance to pull the lever. In twelve short hours we should have a President-Elect and I will spend this evening like so many others around the country and around the world waiting for the results.
A change is coming © Damaso Reyes
I dont think I will be disappointed
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There's just one service a year at Chennai's glorious eighteenth century Armenian church. This year's service was this morning. Two priests - the Very Rev. Fr. Movses Sargsyan, Pastor of the Armenians in India and (wearing the ornate clerical headgear) Rev. Fr. Artsrun - came specially from Calcutta to officiate.
Armenians once constituted one of Chennai's most wealthy trading communities. It has long since melted away. There are now perhaps five Armenians in Chennai - and with well-wishers and the curious, the congregation today just touched double figures ... though the youngest of those attending was only eight months old, so there is hope for the future.
There are about twenty-five Armenian families in Calcutta - the church there gets about 100 worshippers for its Christmas service. The Armenian College in central Calcutta is one of the city's most venerated educational institutions. Usually, a few of the college pupils and the Calcutta community come to Chennai for the annual service; today it was just the two priests.
The Chennai church - which I've blogged about before - is well-kept in spite of the paucity of the community. It was lovely to see a baby today among the congregation. His mother is Armenian and his father is a Chennai-based architect. I asked the parents what the language of the household was: English, Armenian, Hindi, Russian, Tamil ...
The church has a separate bell tower with six bells - the oldest dating back almost 200 years and two of them bearing the name of Thomas Mears, a master founder at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London's East End which, alas, closed last year. Of course, I couldn't resist the temptation to venture up.
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December 2023


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The Banana Party slot machine has been made by Casino Technology and contains 5 reels, 25 bet lines, and 3 rows of icons, which can be seen on display. It's a fruit based gamble with some innovative and unexpected extras such as disco ball and lucky 7's.
This game also has one scatter, one wild joker, and a gamble option. The graphic details are extremely simple and the whole display is full with tasty fruits such as apples, lemons, plums, watermelons, cherries, and bananas.
The sound effects are similar to other machines, but the background music that is the discotheque version of some popular songs takes this entertainment to the highest level.
Banana Party Slot Rules
Play Banana Party free slot and spin the wheel of fortune with:
- The maximum bet from 10 coins per line.
- The number of lines goes up to 25.
- The maximum wager is 250 when all paylines are activated.
- A value of the coin is 0.01€, and it can't be changed.
The payments are done from left to right, and all wins begin with leftmost reel, and characters need to be connected together except the scatter that can be found in any position on the screen.
Super Figures
The free online Banana Party slot machine has one joker character and one scatter – "Disco ball". The joker icon replaces all characters except the scatter that is the most paid icon. The good thing about it is that it brings you cash if shown up on any position on the display.
The gamble feature is optional whenever the player wins, and its value is smaller than 10x total bet; he/she can click on "double up" button and test his/her luck to double or quadruple his/her cash.
For those who want to double their money, they guess is it black or red card; for those who want to quadruple their amount, they must guess a right suit. This gamble feature allows you to won a lot of money so play her wisely and multiply your prize.
Fruits in Main Role
There are the next fruit symbols:
- Lemons, Plums, and Cherries worth less, but they appear more often and can bring you up to 1000€ per 5 if you decide to place a max stake.
- An Apple and watermelons worth 2000€ per 5.
- Lucky 7's pays you up to 5000€ if you have 5 of them connected together.
- The logo give bring you a lot – 10000€ to be precise.
The most paid symbol is a "Disco Ball," and it can bring you up to 125000€.
Controls & Interface
The Banana Party slot game has an Autoplay option so that the player can set the Autoplay button on 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 and wait for money income. A bettor can get more information about paytable by clicking on it at the down-right corner.
Also, this game has a full-screen option, and if you don't like disco music, you have a button to turn it off. Spin these fruits and win great prizes, but be careful not to slip on them.


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Articles by Joi Roberts
Joi L. Roberts is the founder and president of the Chicago UPA chapter as well as co-chair of the 2005 and 2006 World Usability Day Chicago events. Currently, Joi serves as design operations manager for Motorola's Consumer Experience Design team where she focuses on processes, tools, and other organizational infrastructure.
(English) Design Competitions Succeed in Spreading the Usability Message
(English) World Usability Day 2006 festivities varied with social and professional cultures that celebrated the day. Several cities organized design competitions to redesign existing systems that maximize usability. [阅读详情]


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As a supplement to our range of academic services, we also offer high quality and affordable private tutoring for all of our classes. Private tutoring is available either as a uniquely designed stand alone program or as a complement to the core programs and other courses at Wafid. We believe that every student can greatly benefit from connecting with a private tutor, as they are available to address the unique needs, interests and aspirations of individual students. Private tutoring focuses on replacing the teacher-centered techniques normally used in classrooms with learner-centered techniques such as elicitation, communicative activities and collaborative learning that helps the student develop crucial speaking, listening and writing skills.
Our tutors begin with identifying where the students' interests lie and what their strengths and needs are. The tutor then prepares projects and timelines that correspond to the students' interest and academic standards. This highly personalized learning methodology is especially beneficial to those who have busy schedules and those who require more one-on-one attention. If you are looking to develop specific academic and professional skills such as mediation skills or interpersonal communication, or if you simply require polishing of the fundamental skills of pronunciation, reading and writing Arabic, then private tutoring would be ideal for you! Besides providing a specialist academic guidance on learning Arabic, our private tutors are proactive and focus on specific learning outcomes, always encouraging students to not only speak in Arabic, but to think in Arabic. The convenience of having a tutor at your home or a central meeting location is also an added advantage.
The costs of the tutoring sessions are in line with the level of the hands-on learning and quality of instruction that you will receive. We believe that the private tutoring sessions will provide both immediate and long-term benefits, and that you will find them both insightful and rewarding.
Private Tutoring sessions are provided year round, upon specific request by the student. This personalized tutoring has limited seats and we recommend that you apply in advance. After we receive your application, our admissions committee will thoroughly review it and get in touch with you to schedule an interview with the tutor. During this interview, the tutor will assess your needs and interests, discuss your learning preferences and inform you of the tutoring procedures, then determine the structured program of your tutoring sessions.
Please contact our Admissions Department if you have any questions. We are more than happy to assist you. If you'd like to apply, please click here.


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Part of a series of prints representing Birds of the British Woodland. This is a 5 colour screen print of a Male Mallard Duck in green, grey, dark grey, brown and yellow. Each print is designed from an illustration in Indian ink on acetate before being exposed to a silk screen and hand pulled at Sheffield print club. We print each of our prints with care and attention to detail onto 220gsm seabright paper with Dahler Rowney acrylic inks for a truly special end result.
This print is A4 in size and is mounted in a 14" x 11" mount. Perfect for framing.
Each print is titled and signed.


text: Cozy Heat Pluming & Heating Latest update Wednesday, 26th October 2022 at 09:26 AM Published Friday, 17th January 2020 Cozy Heat Plumbing & Heating are a Falkirk based company of Plumbers, Central Heating & Bathroom Installers. Specialising in supplying and installing bathrooms, central heating systems, boiler repairs, and servicing in Falkirk and surrounding areas. Carrying out hundreds of plumbing and boiler repairs, bathroom and central heating installations every year, they can help every step of the way. Engineers will be able to come to your property at a time that suits you and offer a free estimate for your new bathroom, boiler replacement or new central heating system. Falkirk Council employees will receive: 10% discount on boiler servicing and boiler or plumbing repairs (labour only, discount not available on parts) 10% discount of bathroom products supply (discount not available on installation labour). Discount will be given on production of their Falkirk Council ID badge. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other store offer. Cozy Heat / Bath & Tile Showroom 63 Easton Drive Shieldhill Falkirk FK1 2TA Tel 01324 870953 www.cozyheatplumbers.com email@example.com www.bathandtile.co.uk firstname.lastname@example.com Employee benefits AA Membership SchemeCFSLA staff lotteryChildcare Voucher SchemeCycle2WorkMicrosoft Home UseO2 OpenPayroll givingPurchasing additional annual leaveSalary FinanceSalary sacrifice - what is it?Shared Cost AVCsVivup Lifestyle Savings ▼ Show related pages


text: Students wishing to pursue a career in dentistry can fulfill the pre-requisites in a biochemistry or biology degree. Other degrees are possible, as long as the dental school pre-requisites are met. Most students choose a Bachelor of Science degree, although a Bachelor of Arts degree will also meet the standards. Broad training in the discipline and a liberal arts foundation combine to produce highly competitive dental school applicants.


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Pathankot, Aug 24: Two chain snatchers who were riding a stolen motorcycle jumped into Chakki river here when a police party and some locals gave them a hot chase.
The snatchers first threw the bike and then themselves jumped into the river from a height of about 100 feet, police said today.
However, the duo's luck ran out and after great efforts the police arrested them and also recovered the stolen motorcycle and a gold chain and cash from the accused.
The accused were identified as Dalip Kumar, a resident of Chhani Beli of Himachal Pradesh and his brother-in-law Jatinder Kumar, a resident of Tanda in Hoshiarpur district, police said today.
Police said a woman identified as Monika was going with her husband to her village Kanwa, when the accused allegedly snatched a gold chain and purse containing cash from them yesterday, police said.
Locals raised an alarm and then police chased the duo. Some locals also joined them in the chase. Police said during investigation the accused confessed to having stolen the bike from Tanda area.
A case has been registered agains the two and investigations were underway, they said.


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It is with Humble acceptance of God's will that we announce the passing on of our Matriach Mrs. Gladwel Wanjiru Kahiu. Wife of the late Peter Kahiu Wangai of Undiri Kikuyu.
Adorable mother of Wamuhu and Muhoho Wangai and Josphine, Rose Wambui Kahiu, Wanjiku and Mungai, Monica and Ngundo, Jerusha Kahiu, Njeri and Rogers, Annabel Kahiu, Hilda Kahiu. Doting grandmother and great grandmother of Many.
Sister of the late Leonard Chege, Moses Njoroge, Paul K. Waruingi, Monika Nyoro, Mbuciri Waruingi. Sister-in-law of Alice Mwatha. Auntie of Leonard's (Ngong), Moses (Rungiri), Kinyanjuis (Ngong), Nyoro's (Rironi), Mbuciris (Thogoto), Muchugia's (Muthiga), Kinuthia's (Sigona) and Mwathas (Undiri).
Cortege leaves PCEA Kikuyu Mission Hospital at 8.00 a.m on 27/3/2018. Funeral Service will be at P. C.E. A. Kikuyu Township Church from 10.00 a. m. Thereafter She will be laid to rest at her home in Undiri Kikuyu.
Mum RIP


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Many times when we're taking someone through the moral Law and notice they're convicted, we'll want to console them in some way. But this is actually an error.
June 25, 2019
Please keep Living Waters Asia in prayer. Our Philippines-based agency is in Japan doing outreach all week. Japan is one of the most unreached nations of the world, with an estimated Christian population of less than 1%.
They will be witnessing, doing open-air, ministering in an orphanage, speaking at churches, hosting a conference to train believers, and much more. Very, very exciting!
Below are some pics from the last few days.
Open air preaching @ Universe Misawa, Japan.
Bible Study @ Calvary Baptist Church, Misawa, Japan. The average church size in Japan is around 30 people.
The venue for this Saturday's "Living Waters Institute 2019" in Misawa, Japan. May God fill this place with believers hungry to learn how to share the gospel in their area!
Gospel conversations are happening in Japan! Please be praying. Most know near nothing of Jesus Christ.
Learn more about our Philippines-based agency at LivingWaters-Asia.com. They sell our tracts and resources (in English and Tagalog) and host local outreach events year-round.


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Michael Vick may be making the rounds bringing his anti-dog fighting message to Philadelphia school children, but there's one audience he is not interested in meeting with: his victims.
A pit bull advocacy group in Oakland, Calif. says Vick declined an invitation to visit eight of his former dogs this weekend when the Eagles take on the Oakland Raiders.
The group BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls) told The Associated Press it extended the invitation through the Eagles to Vick last week to view his former dogs that were part of the dog fighting operation at Bad Newz Kennels in Virginia.
BAD RAP co-founder Tim Racer said the group picked a location that would have allowed Vick to view the dogs from behind a window at a distance that satisfied the conditions of his parole that bar him from being near animals.
"We understand Vick is trying to right his wrongs and is very interested in redemption, but you can't find redemption without acknowledging your victims," Racer told the AP. "Making amends to the dogs themselves would have helped to create some closure for many of us, especially those people who worked so hard to keep them from being destroyed. It seems that Vick is not ready to go there."
Oakland-based BAD RAP brought 10 of Vick's dogs into its foster program after being given permission from the federal government to evaluate and rescue as many of the dogs as possible.
Sunday's game against the Raiders is the first road game for Vick since being reinstated to the NFL following an 18-month prison sentence for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. The animal rights group, In Defense of Animals plans to stage a protest before the game, saying Vick has not shown remorse for his actions.