text:
Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks: the story of a English village that decides to quarantine themselves due to the bubonic plague in 1666.
As the story begins, we meet Anna Frith. She is the housemaid for the rectory in a small Derbyshire village. The year before, in the Spring of 1665, a tailor inadvertently brought the plague to the town on an infected bolt of cloth. People begin to sicken and die, causing Michael Mompellion, the rector, to propose a plan to the townspeople.
His plan is that the town seals itself off from the rest of the world (aided in part by a local earl who is willing to give them with supplies) so that they don't spread the disease. However, this means that those that are healthy now run the risk of possibly getting sick in the future.
Despite the fact that the most prominent family in town decide to flee, everyone else stays. As more and more of the townspeople get sick, a friendship between Anna and the rector's wife Elinor grows as they try and battle the disease. This complicates the feelings that, after the plague has just about run its course, are starting to develop between Anna and Michael, leading to an ending that I never expected.
The novel is actually historical fiction, inspired by the English town of Eyam, making it easy to feel like you've been transported in time and are experiencing what life for those townspeople must have been like.
I truly loved this book. I found the story to be many things: sad (Anna's longing for her children and the time she could have spent with George Viccars was heartbreaking), courageous (the towns willingness to sacrifice themselves to help stop an outbreak), inspiring, and just downright interesting.
My only problem is with the abruptness of the novel's conclusion. Most of it was told as a flashback to the time of the plague's outbreak, so when we get back to present time, there's very little of the book left. Considering what we find out about certain things, I would have appreciated Brooks taking more time to deal with these revelations.
All in all, though, I found it to be an engrossing read with characters that I really cared about, making me want to find out what would happen to them as the plague decimated the town. I also enjoyed seeing a woman gain indepence and self-reliance in a time when it was rare for so many. Definitely well worth reading.


text:
GRACE TUTTLE, et al.Plaintiffs-Appellees
THE ARLINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, et al.,Defendants-Appellants
Acting Assistant Attorney General
Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66078
Washington, D.C. 20035-6078
(202) 514-4706
1. Prior Litigation 2
2. The 1998-1999 Selection System 4
3. The Current Litigation 7
Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Peña, 515 U.S. 200
(1995) 11, 12
Barhold v. Rodriguez, 863 F.2d 233 (2d Cir. 1988) 17
Brown v. Board of Educ., 347 U.S. 483 (1954) 14
City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson, Co., 488 U.S.
469 (1989) 11, 12, 13, 27
Columbus Bd. of Educ. v. Penick, 443 U.S. 449
(1979) 14, 16, 18
CASES (continued): PAGE
Detroit Police Officers' Assn v. Young,
608 F.2d 671 (6th Cir. 1979), cert. denied, 452
Gladstone, Realtors v. Village of Bellwood,
Hayes v. North State Law Enforcement Offices Ass'n,
10 F.3d 207 (4th Cir. 1993) 13, 25
Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352 (1991) 26
Hills v. Gautreaux, 425 U.S. 284 (1976) 15
Ho v. San Francisco Unified Sch. Dist., Nos. 97-15926 and
97-70378,1998 WL 304517 (9th Cir. June 4, 1998) 19
Hunter v. Regents of the Univ. of Cali.,
971 F. Supp. 1316 (C.D. Calif. 1997) 11, 18
Hopwood v. State of Tex., 78 F.3d 932 (5th Cir.
1996), cert. denied, 518 U.S. 1033 (1996) 19, 20
Jacobson v. Cincinnati Bd. of Educ., 961 F.2d
100 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 830 (1992) 19
Johnson v. Board of Educ., 604 F.2d 504 (7th Cir. 1979),
vacated and remanded, 449 U.S. 915 (1980) 18
Kromnick v. School Dist. of Philadelphia,
739 F.2d 894 (3d Cir. 1984), cert. denied,
Lee v. Nyquist, 318 F. Supp. 710 (W.D.N.Y. 1970),
aff'd, 402 U.S. 935 (1971) 15
Linmark Assocs. v. Township of Willingsboro,
Martin v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Bd. of Educ.,
626 F.2d 1165 (1980), cert. denied,
Martin v. School Dist. of Philadelphia,
No. Civ. A. 95-5650, 1995 WL 564344
(E.D. Pa. Sept. 21, 1995) 18
Maryland Troopers Ass'n v. Evans, 993 F.2d 1072
(4th Cir. 1993) 8, 12
CASES (continued): PAGE
North Carolina State Bd. of Educ. v. Swann,
Parent Ass'n of Andrew Jackson High Sch. v.
Ambach, 598 F.2d 705 (2d Cir. 1979) 17
Podberesky v. Kirwan, 956 F.2d 52 (4th Cir. 1992) 12
Regents of the Univ. of Cali. v. Bakke,
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Bd. of Educ.,
Sweatt v. Painter, 339 U.S. 629 (1950) 20
Talbert v. City of Richmond, 648 F.2d 925
(4th Cir. 1981), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 1145 (1982) 16
Taxman v. Board of Educ., 91 F.3d 1547 (3d Cir. 1996),
cert. dismissed, 118 S. Ct. 595 (1997) 19
Tito v. Arlington County Sch. Bd., No. 97-540,
(E.D. Va. May 13, 1997) 2, 4
Trafficante v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co.,
United States v. Board of Educ., 567 F. Supp. 290
(N.D. Ill. 1983), 664 F.2d 1069 (7th Cir. 1981),
vacated and remanded, 457 U.S. 52 (1982) 18
Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing
Dev. Corp., 429 U.S. 252 (1977) 27
Washington v. Seattle Sch. Dist. No. 1, 458 U.S.
457 (1982) 14
Wessmann v. Boston Sch. Comm., 996 F. Supp. 120
D. Mass (1988), appeal pending, No. 98-1657
(1st Cir.) 11, 18, 20
Wittmer v. Peters, 87 F.3d 916 (7th Cir. 1996),
cert. denied, 117 S. Ct. 949 (1997) 11, 12, 17
Wygant v. Jackson Bd. of Educ., 476 U.S. 267 (1986) 12, 14
Zaslawsky v. Board of Educ., 610 F.2d 661
(9th Cir. 1979) 19
Fourteenth Amendment 1
Equal Protection Clause 1, 9
Due Process Clause 9
Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA), Pub. L. No. 92-318,
Title VII, § 701-702 (1972), repealed by the
Section 5 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act of 1981 22
Civil Rights Act, (Title VI),
42 U.S.C. 2000c-6 1
42 U.S.C. 2000d 1
Civil Rights Act, (Title VII) 19
The Magnet Assistance Program (MSAP),
130 Cong. Rec. 15,033 (1984) 23
130 Cong. Rec. 15,034 (1984) 23
H.R. Rep. No. 576, 92d Cong., 1st Sess. (1971) 23, 24
S. Rep. No. 61, 92d Cong., 1st Sess. (1971) 22, 23, 24
Jomillis H. Braddock, II, Robert L. Crain &
James M. McPartland, A Long-Term View of
School Desegregation: Some Recent Studies Of
Graduates As Adults", Phi Delta Kappan 259
(Dec. 1984) 25
Robert L. Crain & Rita E. Mahard, "Minority Achievement"
Policy Implications of Research," Effective
Desegregation 55 (Willis D. Hawley ed. 1891) 24
James M. McPartland & Jomills H. Braddock II,
"Going To College And Getting A Good Job: The Impact
Of Desegregation", Effective School
Desegregation 141 25
Janet W. Schofield, "Review of Research On
School Desegregation's Impact On Elementary
And Secondary School Students, Handbook On
Research On Multicultural Education (James A.
Banks ed. 1995) 24, 25
Amy Stuart Wells & Robert L. Crain, Stepping
Over The Color Line: African-American Students
In White Suburban Schools 200 (1997) 24, 25
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Racial Isolation
In The Public Schools 91 (1967) 24, 25, 27
No. 98-1604
GRACE TUTTLE, et al.,Plaintiffs-Appellees
THE ARLINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, et al.,Defendants-Appellants
The United States has significant responsibilities for the enforcement of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in the context of public schools, see 42 U.S.C. 2000c-6, and for the enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 2000d, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin by recipients of federal funds, including local school authorities. It thus has an interest in the orderly development of the law regarding the use of race in a wide variety of educational contexts.
The United States will address the following issues:
1. Whether the district court erred in ruling, without hearing any evidence on the question, that student diversity cannot be a compelling interest justifying the use of race and/or national origin in student assignments at the elementary and secondary level.
2. Whether the district court erred in barring the use of family income or students' first language as lottery factors.
1. Prior Litigation. In addition to operating numerous neighborhood schools, the Arlington County School Board (Board) operates three system-wide alternative schools open to all students in the County: Arlington Traditional School (ATS), Drew Model School, and H-B Woodlawn Secondary School. This appeal concerns a lottery, weighted to give limited preferences to students based upon their family income, first language, and race or ethnicity, that was used to select entering kindergarten students for ATS for the 1998-1999 school year.
As the district court found, ATS offers "an educational program comparable to that offered in other elementary schools in Arlington but with an emphasis on what [the Board] calls a 'traditional' method of instruction." Tito v. Arlington County Sch. Bd., No. 97-540-A (E.D. Va. May 13, 1997), J.A. 32.(1) "ATS and the other alternative schools receive funding and resources at a level comparable to the funding and resources provided to other elementary schools" and "ATS uses the same core curriculum as other schools in the county." J.A. 32-33. The number of children applying for the kindergarten class at ATS exceeds the number of spaces available each year after priority is given to siblings of current students. No tests or other measures of achievement or ability are used to select students for ATS or the other alternative schools. J.A. 33. Rather, the Board conducts a lottery to fill the available places in the class. J.A. 33; J.A. 187.
The selection process for ATS in 1997 was governed by Arlington School Directive 25-6.02. Tito, J.A. 33; see J.A. 49-52. Under this policy, the Board sought to achieve enrollments in each of the alternative schools that approximated the ethnic distribution of the student enrollments of the County as a whole. J.A. 33. Because the applicant pool at ATS was disproportionately white, it was necessary to consider race in making student selections in order to attain that goal. J.A. 34-35. After siblings of then-current ATS students were admitted, a random lottery was run and numbers assigned to all remaining applicants. The first 32 students were offered admission, 23 of whom were white. The school relied on racial preferences to select the remaining 14 students. Three were Asian, five black, five Hispanic, and one Native American. Several white students were passed over in this selection process. J.A. 34-36.
The district court held the 1997-1998 selection process to be unconstitutional as applied. Tito, J.A. 36-45. The court held that the Board's interest in achieving a diverse student enrollment at ATS was not a compelling governmental interest. J.A. 38-42. "Although the advantages of composing a student body whose racial makeup mirrors that of the community at large may be real, more is needed than the facile talisman of 'diversity' to justify infringing the constitutional right not to be discriminated against on the basis of race." J.A. 42.
The court also found that the ATS selection process was not narrowly tailored. Tito, J.A. 42-44. The process "create[d] a rigid dichotomy between white and non-white students," failing to distinguish among minority groups, and resulting in overrepresentation of certain groups such as Asians. J.A. 43-44.
2. The 1998-1999 Selection System. Following the district court's ruling in Tito, the Board undertook a review of its admission policy for all three alternative schools, and, in February 1998, adopted a new admission policy for the alternative schools. J.A. 53-58. In adopting this policy, the Board concluded that attending schools with students of diverse backgrounds would benefit all the students in the schools (J.A. 53):
Following extensive discussion and review, with input from the Arlington community and educators, it is the judgment of the School Board that schools which reflect the diversity of the community help to prepare and educate students to live and function in a diverse, global society. In diverse educational settings, students learn to appreciate the differences that exist among students from different backgrounds and to understand that each student comes to school with both strengths and needs.
The Board also concluded that the alternative schools should share the responsibility of educating students from different backgrounds and with different educational needs (J.A. 53):
In addition, Arlington's system-wide schools have a responsibility to serve the diverse groups of students in the district, including those from backgrounds that suggest they may come to school with educational needs that are different from or greater than others. Although it is not always feasible to achieve this same level of diversity in neighborhood schools, due to their limited attendance zones, it can and should be achieved in the system-wide schools.
The Board found that, "[i]n Arlington, family income level, students' first language, and race/national origin are central among the factors or variables that define and exemplify the diverse nature of the community." J.A. 53. Thus, the Board concluded that, "to the extent practicable," the enrollments of each of the alternative schools should reflect the "approximate distribution of students from those groups in the district's overall student population." J.A. 53.
To accomplish this goal, the Board first ordered that efforts be undertaken to ensure that applications for the alternative schools be "disseminated as broadly as possible" and that particular efforts be made to attract an applicant pool reflecting the "diversity of the district as a whole." J.A. 54. Once applications were received, siblings of then-current students at the two alternative elementary schools would be admitted to those schools first. J.A. 55.(2) If there were more applicants than available spaces remaining, student selections would be made by lottery. J.A. 55-56. Applicants would be classified according to the three factors: family income,(3) first language (English or non-English), and race or national origin (White, Hispanic, Black, or Asian/Pacific Islander). J.A. 53, 56. If the applicant pool was within 15% of the County's student population for each of the three factors, the lottery would not be weighted. J.A. 53, 56. If not within that range, the pool would be weighted for income. J.A. 53, 56. The pool would then be examined, and if it was within 15% of the county population for the three factors, the lottery would be run. J.A. 53, 56. If not, the pool would be weighted for language, and only if it was still not within the 15% bands would it be weighted for race or national origin. J.A. 53, 56. Then, the lottery would be run and the places filled in numerical order. J.A. 57. Weighting was to be accomplished by including additional lottery tokens for individuals from underrepresented groups.
The 1998-1999 lottery for ATS was weighted for all three factors. J.A. 61-64. The overall student enrollment in the Arlington Public Schools is 40% low income and 43% Non-English (first language). By race it is 41% white, 31% Hispanic, 17% black, and 10% Asian. Following the application process, the 1998-1999 applicant pool for ATS was 13.5% low income and 11.9% Non-English, and, by race, 67% white, 10.8% Hispanic, 8.6% black, and 13.5% Asian. After the weighted lottery was run, the projected enrollment of ATS was 25% low income and 23% Non-English, and, by race, 55% white, 22% Hispanic, 10% black, and 13% Asian. J.A. 133.
3. The Current Litigation. After the 1998-1999 lottery, two unsuccessful white applicants for the kindergarten class at ATS filed this action challenging the denial of their applications for admission, and seeking a preliminary injunction and permanent declaratory and injunctive relief. Plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of the use of all three diversity factors. The Board defended its use of race and national origin in the selection process on the ground that the procedure was a narrowly tailored means of achieving a compelling governmental interest in obtaining the educational benefits of student diversity.
On April 10, 1998, the district court heard argument on the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction. The Board asked the court to set the case for trial on the merits, so that it could have an opportunity to present evidence in support of its judgment that it had a compelling interest in promoting student diversity and that the use of each of the weighted lottery factors was justified. J.A. 159-162, 172, 175, 180-181. The district court, however, declined to hear the Board's evidence. It ruled that the Board's selection procedures for ATS were unconstitutional and that the plaintiffs were entitled to a permanent injunction. J.A. 193. The court found the weighted lottery to be "a transparent attempt to circumvent Tito." J.A. 189.
Applying strict scrutiny, the district court held that the policy could be upheld only if it was narrowly tailored to meet a compelling governmental interest. J.A. 189-190. The court acknowledged that a remedial purpose could sometimes justify a racial classification. But it noted that the Board had not defended the weighted lottery on that basis, but rather as an attempt to achieve racial diversity in the enrollments at its alternative schools for educational purposes. J.A. 190. The court rejected the Board's contention that it should be allowed to present evidence concerning the educational and social importance of diversity in schools. J.A. 190-191. "Even if the court accepts defendants' contention that diverse student enrollments are educationally preferable, the court cannot conclude that the goal of diversity excuses racial discrimination." J.A. 191, citing Maryland Troopers Ass'n v. Evans, 993 F.2d 1072, 1076 (4th Cir. 1993). The court stated that "[e]ven if racial classifications overwhelmingly increase the academic success of defendants' educational program, they remain unconstitutional." J.A. 194. The court also rejected the Board's contention that its use of family income and first language made its use of race as a selection criterion more acceptable. J.A. 191-192. In fact, the court found the use of the language factor to be "nothing more than a proxy for classification on the basis of one's national origin or race," since the application inquired only as to the student's first language, not whether he or she was proficient in English. J.A. 192 n.3.
On April 23, the district court entered its Order Granting Declaratory Relief and Permanent Injunction. This order declared the Board's Admission Policy for Alternative Schools to be unconstitutional, in violation of the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses. J.A. 226. It entered a permanent injunction requiring the defendants to (a) revoke the admissions of all students selected through the weighted lottery for the 1998-1999 school year; (b) cease taking any action to implement the weighted lottery for ATS; (c) conduct a new lottery "without the use of any preferences" within 10 days; (d) make all subsequent non-sibling admissions to ATS in strict accordance with the lottery results; and (e) cease using race, color, national origin, family income, student's first language, or ethnicity as a factor in admissions for ATS. J.A. 226-227.
This appeal followed.
The district court erred in concluding that the educational and social benefits of diversity in school enrollments can never provide constitutional support for the use of race in student assignments at the elementary school level. Neither the Supreme Court nor this Court has held that racial classifications are constitutional only when used to remedy past discrimination. Indeed, a long series of Supreme Court and lower court decisions, including decisions of this Court, have recognized the importance of racial integration, particularly at the elementary and secondary school level. This assessment has been ratified by Congress, and is supported by educational research. The district court's judgment should therefore be vacated and the case remanded for consideration whether the benefits of diversity in the elementary and secondary school context constitute a compelling interest, and whether the Board's selection procedures were narrowly tailored to achieve that purpose.
The district court's injunction barring the use of family income or students' first language in the selection of students should also be vacated. Such facially neutral criteria may be held unconstitutional only if they are found to be pretexts for the impermissible use of race, and the record does not provide evidence of pretext.
1. The district court here erred when it ruled, as a matter of law and without considering any evidence on the question, that the Arlington County School Board's interest in promoting student diversity was not a compelling governmental interest, "[e]ven if racial classifications overwhelmingly increase the academic success of defendants' educational program." J.A. 194. Neither the Supreme Court nor this Court has made such a sweeping holding that diversity may never be a compelling governmental interest.
Racial classifications imposed by governmental entities must be subjected to strict scrutiny and "are constitutional only if they are narrowly tailored measures that further compelling governmental interests." Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Peña, 515 U.S. 200, 227 (1995). In Adarand and in City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., 488 U.S. 469 (1989), the Supreme Court made it clear that, when challenged as equal protection violations, all racial classifications are subject to strict scrutiny. Because the classifications at issue in both Adarand and in Croson were defended as necessary to remedy past discrimination, the Court's discussion of the government's interest in those cases was limited to a discussion of remedial purpose.
But neither case held that only a remedial purpose could constitute a compelling interest. See Adarand, 515 U.S. at 227; id. at 257-258 (Stevens, J., dissenting) ("The proposition that fostering diversity may provide a sufficient interest to justify such a program is not inconsistent with the Court's holding today -- indeed, the question is not remotely presented in this case"). The question whether a non-remedial purpose may also satisfy strict scrutiny was not presented in either decision, and thus "remains open in the Supreme Court." Wittmer v. Peters, 87 F.3d 916, 918 (7th Cir. 1996), cert. denied, 117 S. Ct. 949 (1997); Wessmann v. Boston Sch. Comm., 996 F. Supp. 120, 129-130 (D. Mass. 1998), appeal pending, No. 98-1657 (1st Cir.); Hunter v. Regents of Univ. of Cal., 971 F. Supp. 1316, 1324-1327 (C.D. Cal. 1997). As the Seventh Circuit wrote in Wittmer, "there is a reason that dicta are dicta and not holdings, that is, are not authoritative. A judge would be unreasonable to conclude that no other consideration except a history of discrimination could ever warrant a discriminatory measure unless every other consideration had been presented to and rejected by him." 87 F.3d at 919; cf. Wygant v. Jackson Bd. of Educ., 476 U.S. 267, 286 (1986) (O'Connor, J., concurring) ("certainly nothing the Court has said today necessarily forecloses the possibility that the Court will find other [non-remedial] governmental interests * * * to be sufficiently 'important' or 'compelling' to sustain the use of affirmative action policies").
The district court relied on two recent decisions of this Court that stated, in dicta, that racial classifications may be justified only when the use of race is necessary to remedy past discrimination. See Podberesky v. Kirwan, 956 F.2d 52, 55 (4th Cir. 1992); Maryland Troopers Ass'n v. Evans, 993 F.2d 1072, 1076 (4th Cir. 1993). But, as in Adarand and Croson, neither case presented the question whether a non-remedial purpose might also establish a compelling interest. The Podberesky court specifically declined to address the suggestion of an amicus that the scholarship program at issue there could be justified by a compelling interest in promoting enrollment diversity. See 956 F.2d at 56 n.4. Maryland Troopers concerned promotional goals imposed by a consent decree in settlement of an action alleging employment discrimination, see 993 F.2d at 1074-1075, and the court did not discuss any justification other than the need to remedy past discrimination. See also Hayes v. North State Law Enforcement Officers Ass'n, 10 F.3d 207, 213-215 (4th Cir. 1993) (declining to decide, post-Croson, "whether achieving a greater racial diversity within the police department is a compelling state interest that might justify awarding promotions on the basis of race").
For the reasons set forth below, non-remedial purposes may also present compelling interests justifying race-conscious governmental actions. The district court here erred in ruling, without first hearing the Board's presentation justifying its use of race in student selections, that no such purpose could ever justify the practices at issue here.
2. The Supreme Court has repeatedly stressed the importance of promoting racial and ethnic integration, particularly in the context of education, even without a remedial predicate. In Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978), the Court struck down an admissions scheme that set aside a specific portion of the slots in the entering class for minorities. But a majority of the Court reversed the lower court's order barring the University from any use of race in its admissions process. See id. at 272 (Powell, J.); id. at 325-326 (Brennan, White, Marshall, Blackmun, JJ., concurring in the judgment in part and dissenting in part). Justice Powell's opinion in Bakke specifically identified the promotion of diversity in student enrollments as a compelling interest justifying the use of race in university admissions. Id. at 311-314. As Justice O'Connor wrote in her concurring opinion in Wygant, 476 U.S. at 286, "a state interest in the promotion of racial diversity has been found sufficiently 'compelling,' at least in the context of higher education, to support the use of racial considerations in furthering that interest".
In Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), the Court recognized the importance of integrated elementary and secondary education in preparing children for participation in the larger society. The Court first noted the importance of education generally, stating (id. at 493):
Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment.
Relying in part upon social science research, Brown concluded that segregated education deprives minority children of equal educational opportunities. Id. at 493-495 & n.11. The Court subsequently has noted the benefits of integration for children of both races, specifically recognizing that white children "benefit from exposure to 'ethnic and racial diversity in the classroom'" as well. Washington v. Seattle Sch. Dist. No. 1, 458 U.S. 457, 472 (1982); see Columbus Bd. of Educ. v. Penick, 443 U.S. 449, 486 (1979) (Powell, J., dissenting) ("ethnic and racial diversity in the classroom is a desirable component of sound education in our country of diverse populations").(4)
The Court also has endorsed local school officials' authority voluntarily to use race or ethnicity in student assignments to promote integrated classrooms at the elementary and secondary level, even when they are not required to do so to remedy past discrimination. As the Court wrote in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, 402 U.S. 1, 16 (1971):
School authorities are traditionally charged with broad power to formulate and implement educational policy and might well conclude, for example, that in order to prepare students to live in a pluralistic society each school should have a prescribed ratio of Negro to white students reflecting the proportion for the district as a whole. To do this as an educational policy is within the broad discretionary powers of school authorities[.]
See also North Carolina State Bd. of Educ. v. Swann, 402 U.S. 43, 45 (1971) ("school authorities may well conclude that some kind of racial balance in the schools is desirable quite apart from any constitutional requirements"); Lee v. Nyquist, 318 F. Supp. 710, 712-714 (W.D.N.Y. 1970), aff'd, 402 U.S. 935 (1971); see Penick, 443 U.S. at 488 (Powell, J., dissenting) (school authorities should be encouraged to adopt voluntary measures to promote racial balance in the schools, such as majority-to-minority transfer programs and magnet schools, even where racial imbalance is "beyond the reach of judicial correction").
Accordingly, Supreme Court precedent does not support the district court's assessment that diversity cannot, under any circumstances, constitutionally support the limited use of race in school admissions.
3. The courts of appeals, including this Court, have approved the use of race-conscious governmental actions for non-remedial purposes, in both the education and the employment contexts.
In Martin v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, 626 F.2d 1165 (1980), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 1041 (1981), this Court upheld a plan regulating the assignment of students, on the basis of race, to prevent the minority enrollment of individual schools from exceeding 50%. The plan initially had been implemented in accordance with a court-approved desegregation plan, but was later independently adopted by the Board of Education. "The School Board is vested with broad discretionary powers over educational policy and is well within its powers when it decides that as a matter of policy schools should not have a majority of minority students." Id. at 1167, citing Swann, 402 U.S. at 16. In Talbert v. City of Richmond, 648 F.2d 925, 928-929 (1981), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 1145 (1982), this Court relied upon Justice Powell's opinion in Bakke to uphold the consideration of race in the promotion of police officers on the ground that diversity in the upper ranks of a police force was "important to effective law enforcement in a city whose population was approximately 50% black." See also Wittmer, 87 F.3d 916 (upholding use of race in selection of prison boot camp lieutenant on ground that lack of any black supervisory-level correctional officers would be detrimental to operation of camp); Barhold v. Rodriguez, 863 F.2d 233, 238 (2d Cir. 1988) (holding that operational need for a balanced workforce in the law enforcement context might justify the use of race in assignment of parole officers); Detroit Police Officers' Ass'n v. Young, 608 F.2d 671, 695-696 (6th Cir. 1979) (citing national studies and testimony of law enforcement officials in holding that operational needs of police department could justify racial preference in promotion of police officers), cert. denied, 452 U.S. 938 (1981).
In a variety of contexts, courts have held that the use of race in school assignments may be permissible where necessary to promote integration in the public schools. See, e.g., Parent Ass'n of Andrew Jackson High Sch. v. Ambach, 598 F.2d 705 (2d Cir. 1979) (applying strict scrutiny to plan permitting minority students in de facto segregated high school to transfer only to schools in which their race would be in the minority; court concluded that goal of preserving integration was valid, and remanded to determine whether transfer limitation was necessary to achieve that goal); Johnson v. Board of Educ., 604 F.2d 504, 516 (7th Cir. 1979) (finding interest in promoting integration "compelling" in challenge to racial quota that limited minority student enrollment in two de facto segregated public high schools), vacated and remanded, 449 U.S. 915 (1980);(5) Wessmann v. Boston Sch. Comm., 996 F. Supp. at 127-131 (holding that School Committee had a compelling governmental interest in adopting race conscious selection policy for Boston Latin School in order to maintain racial diversity); Martin v. School Dist. of Philadelphia, No. CIV. A. 95-5650, 1995 WL 564344 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 21, 1995) (finding that school district had compelling interest in remedying de facto segregation and ensuring equal educational opportunity, in upholding race-conscious student transfer policy); Hunter v. Regents of Univ. of Cal., 971 F. Supp. at 1324-1330 (university has a compelling interest in achieving an ethnically diverse student enrollment in laboratory elementary school in order to maintain the integrity of its research in urban education). Similarly, race has been upheld as a factor in teacher assignments in order to provide a racially diverse faculty in public schools outside the remedial context. See Kromnick v. School Dist. of Philadelphia, 739 F.2d 894 (3d Cir. 1984) (upholding teacher assignment policy designed to rectify de facto school segregation), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1107 (1985); Jacobson v. Cincinnati Bd. of Educ., 961 F.2d 100, 102 (6th Cir.) (citing school officials' discretionary authority to promote integration in upholding teacher assignment policy), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 830 (1992); Zaslawsky v. Board of Educ., 610 F.2d 661, 663-664 (9th Cir. 1979) (holding that finding of de jure segregation not necessary to justify teacher assignment policy).
The Fifth Circuit, in another context, has stated that a university's interest in achieving a diverse student body to increase academic exchange of ideas can never constitute a compelling governmental interest justifying the use of race in law student selections. Hopwood v. Texas, 78 F.3d 932, 944-948 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 518 U.S. 1033 (1996).(6) Hopwood, however, assumed that the use of race to achieve diverse enrollments was based upon the assumption that individuals of different racial groups would bring different ideas and characteristics to the university. Id. at 946. It rejected this rationale on the ground that, in its view, such a use of race merely reinforced improper racial stereotypes. Id. at 945-946.(7)
In the elementary and secondary school context, however, the importance of diversity in enrollments is not based upon racial stereotypes, or the belief that students of one racial or ethnic background will bring any particular outlook to the classroom. To the contrary, an integrated educational setting may disabuse students of their pre-existing notions about members of other racial or ethnic groups, including the assumption that all members of a particular group think or act in a particular way. As the district court wrote in Wessmann, 996 F. Supp. at 128:
Of great significance is the fact that diversity in the classroom is the most effective of all weapons in challenging stereotypical preconceptions. When studying side by side, in a diverse setting, students grow to understand and respect the differences among them as they share life in a complex, pluralistic society. And, as important, they learn that most people, regardless of their backgrounds, think in fundamentally the same [way] about matters of character, team work, and mutual respect.
As the cases described above illustrate, race is and has been used in a range of different ways to achieve the benefits of diversity in student enrollments, even without a remedial predicate. Here, for example, the Board used applicants' race or national origin as one of several factors in the selection process. Moreover, because students were selected for ATS by lottery, rather than on the basis of qualifications, the use of race cannot be characterized as selecting "less qualified" applicants over demonstrably better qualified applicants on the basis of race. Nor was any student denied a public education, but merely the right to attend a particular school. While ATS has a special approach to education, it uses the same core curriculum, and receives much the same resources as the Board's other elementary schools. Therefore, the effect on non-minority third parties of not being admitted to ATS may be fairly minimal.
4. Congress, too, has recognized the importance of promoting diversity in elementary and secondary school settings. The Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP), 20 U.S.C. 7201-7213, is a discretionary grant program administered by the Department of Education which provides funds to local educational agencies to assist in "the elimination, reduction, or prevention of minority group isolation in elementary and secondary schools with substantial proportions of minority students." 20 U.S.C. 7202. MSAP provides funds for magnet schools that are part of either voluntary or court-ordered desegregation plans. Id. at 7203(1), 7205. In reauthorizing MSAP in 1994, Congress found that "it is in the best interest of the Federal Government to" (20 U.S.C. 7201(5)):
(B) ensure that all students have equitable access to quality education that will prepare such students to function well in a culturally diverse, technologically oriented, and highly competitive, global community; and
(C) maximize the ability of local educational agencies to plan, develop, implement and continue effective and innovative magnet schools that contribute to State and local systemic reform.
Congress also found that "magnet schools are a significant part of our Nation's effort to achieve voluntary desegregation in our Nation's schools," 20 U.S.C. 7201(1).
The legislative history of MSAP, and its predecessor, the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA), Pub. L. No. 92-318, Title VII, §§ 701-720 (1972), reflects Congress's recognition that promoting integration in elementary and secondary schools was of the highest priority. The purpose of ESAA, like that of MSAP, was to promote voluntary school integration. The Senate Report on ESAA recognized that "[e]ducation in an integrated environment, in which children are exposed to diverse backgrounds, is beneficial to both" minority and nonminority children. S. Rep. No. 61, 92d Cong., 1st Sess. at 7 (1971). "Whether or not it is deliberate, racial, ethnic, and socio-economic separation in our schools and school systems have serious and often irreparable adverse effects on the education of all children, be they from deprived or from advantaged backgrounds." Id. at 6. The House Report found that racial isolation in our Nation's public schools was widespread, and that it was "time for the rhetoric of the Federal Government calling for the integration of our schools to be backed up by sufficient funds to assist them in striving for this goal." H.R. Rep. No. 576, 92d Cong., 1st Sess. at 4 (1971); accord S. Rep. No. 92-61, at 6 (citing statistics on racial isolation in public elementary and secondary schools).
Supporters of MSAP also spoke of the importance of promoting integration in the nation's public schools. See 130 Cong. Rec. 15,033 (1984) (Sen. Kennedy) ("Support for desegregation assistance continues to be a national priority."); ibid. (Sen. Chafee) ("I believe the elimination of racial isolation in our Nation's public schools remains one of the primary responsibilities of the Federal Government in education.")
In enacting both ESAA and MSAP, Congress relied upon statements made by President Nixon in proposing the bill that became ESAA:(8)(9) (10)
5. These judgments about the importance of diversity in elementary and secondary classrooms have been borne out by educational scholars. Educational research has shown that desegregation yields enhanced achievement for African-American students, particularly when undertaken on a voluntary basis, and when begun at the kindergarten or first-grade level.(11) Numerous studies have demonstrated increased rates of high school graduation, college attendance, and college graduation, and better occupational prospects among African-American students who have attended integrated schools.(12) Research also indicates that, in the long term, "desegregation may help break a cycle of racial isolation," leading to better acceptance of racially mixed residential and occupational settings among both African-Americans and whites.(13) As one review of the literature put it, "desegregation of schools leads to desegregation in later life -- in college, in social situations, and on the job."(14)
6. In this case, the district court, based on its legally erroneous view that a non-remedial purpose can never be a legal basis for race-conscious action, declined even to hear evidence on the benefits of diversity in elementary and secondary education. Its judgment for the plaintiff should therefore be vacated and the case remanded to permit the Board to defend its program.(15)
The district court enjoined the Board from using either family income or students' first language as criteria in the selection of students for the Arlington Traditional School. The court found the use of the language factor to be "a proxy for classification on the basis of one's national origin or race," since the application inquired only as to the student's first language, not whether he or she was proficient in English. J.A. 192 n.3. It made no findings to support its order enjoining the use of family income.
The court erred in concluding, on the meager record below, that the Board's use of students' first language was an improper proxy for race or national origin. Even though the use of first language likely correlates with national origin, and thus may affect students based on ethnicity, its use does not violate the Equal Protection Clause unless the Board chose it as a lottery factor with the intent to distinguish among ethnic groups, and then only if its use fails strict scrutiny. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 359-360 (1991) (plurality); id. at 372-375 (O'Connor, Scalia, JJ., concurring). As the plurality emphasized in Hernandez, "[p]roof of racially discriminatory intent or purpose is required to show a violation of the Equal Protection Clause." Id. at 360, internal quotations marks omitted. The question of discriminatory intent is a factual one, "demand[ing] a sensitive inquiry into such circumstantial and direct evidence of intent as may be available." Village of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Dev. Corp., 429 U.S. 252, 266 (1977). There was no such proof and no such inquiry here, where the district court declined even to hear the Board's justifications for its use of any of the lottery factors. The district court's decision to enjoin the use of family income in the lottery was not even purportedly based upon any finding of discriminatory purpose, and therefore must be vacated.
On remand, plaintiffs must prove that the Board's use of students' first language and family income was motivated by discriminatory intent. The district court should hear both parties' evidence on this question and the Board's justifications for its use of these factors. In this regard, we note that, in a multi-ethnic community such as Arlington, the use of students' first language as a lottery factor does not single out any one ethnic group for favorable treatment, but benefits all students whose first language is not English. As to the use of family income, the Supreme Court has suggested that public entities consider the use of race-neutral economic factors, rather than race per se, to increase minority participation. See Croson, 488 U.S. at 507. The educational research indicates that poor children benefit when they attend school with children of higher socio-economic status.(16) And Congress agrees that social and economic integration in schools is an important goal. The MSAP authorizes grants for magnet schools "designed to bring students from different social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds together." 20 U.S.C. 7203.CONCLUSION
The district court's judgment should be vacated and the case remanded for an evidentiary hearing.
Respectfully submitted,
Acting Assistant Attorney General
Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66078
Washington, D.C. 20035-6078
(202) 514-4706
I certify that the foregoing brief for the United States as amicus curiae was sent by first class mail to the following counsel of record, this 21st day of July, 1998:
Steven J. Routh
Audrey J. Anderson
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
555 13th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
Carole W. McCoskrie
Assistant County Attorney
Arlington County Attorney's Office
2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 403
Arlington, VA 22201
Philip A. Sechler
Williams & Connolly
725 12th Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
Steven M. Levine
Law Office of Steven M. Levine
1667 K Street, N.W., Suite 310
Washington, D.C. 20006
Department of Justice
P.O. Box 66078
Washington, D.C. 20035-6078
(202) 514-4706
1. Citations to "J.A. __" refer to pages in the Joint Appendix in this appeal. As explained infra, Tito was a challenge to an earlier method of selecting students for ATS.
2. There is no sibling preference for H-B Woodlawn Secondary school. J.A. 55.
3. Students' income classification was determined by whether they would qualify for free or reduced lunch. J.A. 61.
4. The Court has recognized the importance of residential integration as well, in part because of its effect on integration in schools. See Gladstone, Realtors v. Village of Bellwood, 441 U.S. 91, 110-111 & n.24 (1979) (noting relationship between residential and school segregation); Linmark Assocs. Inc. v. Township of Willingboro, 431 U.S. 85, 94-95 (1977) ("This Court has expressly recognized that substantial benefits flow to both whites and blacks from interracial association and that Congress has made a strong national commitment to promote integrated housing"), citing Trafficante v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 409 U.S. 205 (1972); Hills v. Gautreaux, 425 U.S. 284, 301-303 (1976) (acknowledging federal policy encouraging desegregated housing opportunities).
5. In the decision cited in the text, the court of appeals began its analysis with the assumption that the racial restrictions were intended to address de facto segregation. See 604 F.2d at 507. After granting certiorari to review the cited decision, the Supreme Court vacated and remanded the judgment for further consideration in light of the entry of a consent decree providing a comprehensive remedy for intentional segregation of the Chicago Public Schools. 449 U.S. 915; see United States v. Board of Educ., 567 F. Supp. 290, 293 (N.D. Ill. 1983). Following a remand to the district court, the court of appeals subsequently reinstated its original opinion. 664 F.2d 1069 (7th Cir. 1981). The Supreme Court again granted certiorari, and vacated and remanded, directing that the case be consolidated with the United States action for consideration upon a full factual record in the context of the broader remedy. 457 U.S. 52 (1982) (per curiam). On remand, the racial restrictions at the two high schools were upheld as a part of that remedy. 567 F. Supp. at 296.
6. See also, Taxman v. Board of Educ., 91 F.3d 1547, 1556-1563 (3d Cir. 1996) (holding that interest in faculty diversity could not justify use of race under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), cert. dismissed, 118 S. Ct. 595 (1997); Ho v. San Francisco Unified Sch. Dist., Nos. 97-15926, 97-70378, 1998 WL 304517 *11 (9th Cir. June 4, 1998) (stating, in dicta, that racial classifications can only be justified by a remedial purpose).
7. We believe that the Fifth Circuit misconstrued the nature of the diversity rationale in Hopwood, and failed to recognize the value of diverse student enrollments in institutions of higher education. See Sweatt v. Painter, 339 U.S. 629, 634 (1950) (isolation of black law students results in "an academic vacuum, removed from the interplay of ideas and the exchange of views with which the law is concerned"). But that question is not presented here.
8. Senator Moynihan quoted portions of these statements during the 1984 Senate debates on MSAP. 130 Cong. Rec. 15,034 (1984).
9. As quoted in S. Rep. 92-61, at 9 (1971); see also id. at 7.
10. As quoted in H.R. Rep. 92-576, at 3 (1971).
11. Janet Ward Schofield, "Review Of Research On School Desegregation's Impact On Elementary And Secondary School Students," in Handbook Of Research On Multicultural Education (James A. Banks ed., 1995) 597, 599-602; Robert L. Crain & Rita E. Mahard, "Minority Achievement: Policy Implications of Research," in Effective School Desegregation 55, 61-67 (Willis D. Hawley ed., 1981); Amy Stuart Wells & Robert L. Crain, Stepping Over The Color Line: African-American Students In White Suburban Schools, 200 (1997); U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Racial Isolation In The Public Schools, 91 (1967).
12. Schofield, at 605-606; James M. McPartland & Jomills H. Braddock II, "Going To College And Getting A Good Job: The Impact Of Desegregation" in Effective School Desegregation, 141, 146-149; Wells & Crain, at 197-199.
13. Schofield, at 610; see also McPartland & Braddock, at 149-151; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, at 109-112.
14. Jomills H. Braddock II, Robert L. Crain, & James M. McPartland, A Long-Term View Of School Desegregation: Some Recent Studies Of Graduates As Adults" in Phi Delta Kappan (Dec. 1984), 259, 260.
15. Because the district court concluded that promoting diverse student enrollments could never justify the use of race or ethnicity in student selection procedures, it did not address whether the use of race and ethnicity here was narrowly tailored. The issue of narrow tailoring is therefore not before this Court. That issue requires a factual inquiry and should be addressed on remand. See Hayes, 10 F.3d at 216-217 (analyzing evidence on narrow tailoring question).
16. See Civil Rights Commission at 75, 81-91.

subset: commoncrawl


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I had no idea what we'd be making in the knit class so in the off-chance that we could make anything we wanted, I started poking around a bit on Ravelry for some ideas of what I could make. One thing I was looking for was an easy pattern. Another thing I wanted was a portable project. I didn't want a big huge item that was very complicated and couldn't be ported around the house. I wanted something that used average yarn - nothing pricey. Basically I wanted a practice project that would be useful when complete yet still could teach me a variety of skills but that I wouldn't feel guilty messing up on or wasting some really awesome expensive yarn with.
I headed off to the first class with some yarn, a few sizes of needles a pair of scissors and a couple of FREE patterns I'd found on ravelry.
I was the first one to arrive at class. I asked the teacher what we would be making and she said, "Oh anything you want." Thank goodness I'd done a little homework and brought along some supplies. I showed her my array of patterns and she helped me to select the one that would work best for my needs. I decided to begin with an afghan - done in squares and stitched together at the end.
I went with this pattern. You have to be logged in to the Lion Brand site to make the link work. The pattern is called Lion Brand Morris and Park Blanket.
But of course as I do with everything, I changed it up a bit. The original pattern uses three colors of Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn. I'm using Loops & Threads Impeccable worsted weight acrylic yarn. I've chosen 3 colors (aqua, clay and rouge).
The Lion Brand pattern uses three different stitch patterns in its squares. I wanted to learn to knit more than 3 patterns but I wanted them all to be simple knit/purl patterns with 8 or fewer row repeats - since I was afraid I'd lose track of what row I was on. The pattern comes with a grid to show how to layout the different colored and pattern squares. I re-numbered my grid to accommodate my additional patterns.
I'm knitting it on 8" bamboo needles.
Here are the 6 block patterns I'm making and the details and instructions for making them:
Pattern 1 - Aqua Yarn (10 each): This block is garter stitch. Cast on 32 stitches, knit every row until the square measures 9 inches in length. My blocks aren't 9 inches wide so they are more like rectangles but that doesn't really matter for my pattern. Here is a sample of Pattern 1.
I basically learned to cast on and knit at the first class. I picked it up easily, but I have a tendency to make mistakes. My first few blocks had a few holes and mis-stitches. They are far from perfect, but I patched up the holes with a darning needle and decided to use them anyway. After all, this is my FIRST project, it doesn't have to be perfect.
Between the first and second class I discovered knitting tutorials on YouTube - YAY! I learned a better way to cast on, I learned to bind off in garter stitch and I learned to purl by watching videos.
Pattern 2 - Aqua Yarn (7 each): Purl Ladder stitch. Cast on 34 (or multiple of 4 + 2). Row 1 and Row 2: Knit Row 3: P2, K2, P2 Row 4: K2, P2, K2 Row 5 and Row 6: Knit, Row 7: K2, P2, K2 Row 8: P2, K2, P2. Here is my first Pearl Ladder square (awful and loaded with mistakes, I'll probably take it out and do it over).
Here is my second Pearl Ladder square - much better.
I use a row counter on the end of my needle to keep track of where I am in the 8 row repeat. This is a handy tool!
Pattern 3 - Clay Yarn (9 each): Moss Stitch. Cast on 37 (or multiple of 2 + 1). Row 1: K1, *P1, K1 repeat from * across row. Rows 2 and 3: P1, *K1, P1 repeat from * across row. Row 4: same as Row 1. When I was making this stitch, I really learned how to look at my knits and purls and tell how they looked. I realized I could look at the pattern and tell what I was supposed to do next rather than having to keep track of the rows with a counting tool. Pattern 3 looks like this. It's one of my favorite patterns. I like the way it looks like little diamonds.
Pattern 4 - Clay Yarn (7 each): Basketweave Stitch. Cast on 36. For first 6 rows: K6, P6. For next six rows: P6, K6. Repeat first 6 rows followed by next 6 rows over and over until the square reaches 9 inches.
Pattern 5: Seed Stitch. I like the pebbly feel of this stitch. Cast on 33 stitches (or any uneven number). K1, *P1 K1, repeat from * across to end of row. Repeat this row over and over. Really easy stitch - I can even do this while watching TV! Seed Stitch sample is below.
Pattern 6 - Rouge Yarn (7 each): Ladder Stitch. Cast on 35 (or multiple of 2 + 1). Rows 1 - 4: Knit Row 5: K1 P1 Row 6: K1, *K1 P1, repeat from * and end with last two stitches of this row being knit. The ladder stitch looks like this. I made some mistakes on the first one, but not SO many that I'll take it out.
Garter Stitch, Moss Stitch and Seed Stitch came right from the original pattern. The other three stitches I found from different stitch websites. Interestingly, I learned that the names of stitches and the patterns to make them don't always go by an industry standard. I found Seed Stitch samples and Moss Stitch samples that were the exact same stitch with different names.
My goal in selecting patterns was to make sure my patterns gave me practice and weren't too hard that they made me crazy while simultaneously learning applique. I also wanted the patterns to look as much the same on both sides as I could so that my afghan doesn't have an obvious back and front.
The pattern doesn't give any instructions for sewing the squares together and I haven't explored exactly how I'll join them. My teacher kept telling me she loves mattress stitch for joining but when she showed me the mattress stitch, I didn't think I liked it for an afghan. It has an obvious joining bump or seam on one side and will make my afghan have a very noticeable front and back. I will search the Internet for joining stitches to see if I can find one that allows the afghan to look the same on both sides and doesn't create a seam. If you have suggestions, I'd love to explore them.
I've also thought about making a crocheted border to go around the entire outside of the afghan but I'm not too sure as of yet - feel free to voice in an opinion! I'll continue to post updates about this project as I progress. To date - 17 squares! Total needed - 49.


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I guess I'll always have a soft spot for Gary Daniels. It all comes from high-quality action films that Gary took in the golden age of direct video age.
If Rumble's star was a soft spot, I probably would not be uncomfortable watching. And I'm just saying this based on poor Photoshop work. Gary Daniels picture in the upper half looks awkward, but then the wonder in the bottom half of the picture in the lower half and looks like Gary Mona Freaking Lisa in the upper half… Gary Daniels is playing former MMA champion David Goran. After a serious knee injury during a fight in Rio, David's career is sliding downwards.


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You will save shipping cost on Multiple items,of course.Wait for invoice and you'll see the combined shipping price. You will NEVER pay more than my actual cost.
Special german-made cruciform-mailers designed for multiple LPs are used, even for single LP packages. The boxes are oversized and thus provide extra corner protection as well as great stiffness to the package. Addtional protection may also be used when found nessesary, such asstiffeners, bubble-wrap, extra corner-protection. I do not charge anything forpacking materials.
MINT(-)is as close to new as a used LP or cover can get, unplayed or played 1-2 times at most with no visual signs of use on surfaces.
MINT-issuperb, almost like new. No marks, scratches, clicks, noise, or anything else, aside from possibly a barely visible and inaudible hairline or two.All minor blemishes will be mentioned in the individual descriptions.
EX or EXCELLENTis also VERY nice, 2-3 lightinaudiblemarks/hairlines perhaps, no disturbing noise, great sound quality.
VG+is nice with light hairlines, a few marks maybe. Please see individual notes in case of VG+ or lower gradings.
VG...Well used but still very enjoyable. See individual notes on the item in question.
All items are garuanteed–in case of any dissatisfaction, contact me, and we'll sort it out. All items are refundable if returned in the same condition as recieved.


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Start with this intuition: all adulterous actions are intrinsically wrong. Therefore, any action that is intrinsically just like an adulterous action is also wrong. Now the intrinsic character of a successful action is defined by the intentions or action plan—by what the end is and how it is intended to be achieved. Many cases of adultery do not, however, involve an intention to commit adultery. Sam knows that sex with Suzy would be adulterous, but he need not intend the sex qua adulterous. He might intend it qua pleasant or qua unitive-with-Suzy. The distinction is important. There are cases of adultery where there is an intention to commit adultery as such, as when Sam intends to make Suzy's husband a cuckold or make his own wife jealous. Such malicious cases are, ceteris paribus, morally worse than run-of-the-mill adultery done for the sake of pleasure or union.
Thus the intentions in run-of-the-mill adultery are the same as those in typical cases of fornication—to share pleasure with this person, to unite with this person, etc. If adultery is intrinsically wrong, so will these typical cases of fornication be. (And I don't think there are any atypical permissible cases of fornication, either.)
Moreover, so will cases of sexual activity within marriage when the intentions are the same kinds of intentions that typical adulterers and fornicators have. Thus, if Sam's intention is simply to share pleasure with Tamara, he is doing intrinsically the same thing as when he commits adultery with Suzy, even if Tamara happens to be his wife and Suzy doesn't. Thus, if there is to be an intrinsic difference between marital activity and adultery, the marital activity must involve intentions that adulterers cannot have, properly marital intentions such as to unite maritally with Tamara or at least to share pleasure with his own wife, Tamara. It is clear, thus, that it is possible to do something that is relevantly like adultery with one's spouse. Is this why, perhaps, when Jesus said that the man who looks lustfully at a woman has committed adultery with her in heart, he did not limit his remarks to the case of the married man or the married woman? Taking his remarks literally, to look lustfully at one's spouse is to commit adultery with her in the heart. Lust is an essentially non-marital attitude.
Now, for every possible kind of action, there are negative conditions that the intentions have to satisfy. For instance, so that a financial transaction, a hammering of a nail, a drinking of a cup of coffee, a sexual act or an act of teaching be permissible, it must not be done for a malicious ulterior end. However, sexual relations, unlike the hammering of a nail, must satisfy a positive condition on their intentions to be permissible. The intentions must be marital—of a sort that could not be satisfied outside of a marriage.
It is sometimes said that there is something wrong with a couple that stays together only because of their marriage vows rather than because they like each other. Be that as it may, if my above are right, there is something wrong with a couple that stays sexually together only because they like each other. The fact of being married needs to enter into their reasons.


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Dear Sir,
I am a resident of Scheme-94E, opposite Mayur Hosiptal, ring road, Indore since the past 13 years. Earlier there were hardly any residents in this area, but slowly over a period of the last 10 years, so much construction has taken place & traffic has increased multiple times.
1). People have started using the service road for parking so much so, that 2 vehicles cannot pass together at any place. One lane is completely blocked by parked vehicles. Even big busses are parked permanently causing a lot of problems.
2). Garbage disposal has always been a problem in this area. There are scattered dumps all through the service road.
3).Garbage further leads to an increase in the population of stray animals in such large quantities. Stray dogs & pigs are increasing in such large quantities despite of repeated complaints.
We hope for your cooperation & quick action to sort out such issues.
Thanks & Regards,
Mrs Gupta


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Wine and beer List:
Sparkling Wine: 39.00
Cabernet Sauvignon: 28.00
Pinot Noir: 28.00
Merlot: 25.00
Sauvignon Blanc: 25.00
Chardonnay: 28.00
Pinot Grigio: 28.00
Rubicon India Pale Ale (I.P.A.) 6.5% 12oz: 4.95
Generous portions of Cascade, Columbus and Chinook hops are added throughout the brewing process. Golden in color. This beer won gold metals at the Greater American Beer Festival. A true American Classic.
Rubicon Monkey Knife Fight Pale Ale 5.4% 12 oz 4.95
American Pale Ale, 2 row light crystal malts and just enough Mt. Hood hops carry the balance, they dry-hopped with cascade providing a dry crisp floral finish.
Rubicon Hopsauce Double (I.P.A.) 8.2% 12 oz 4.95
A nice golden color with aromas of pine, citrus and earthy spice. Created using only English Pale malts and seven varieties of hops. Full of hop flavors, this is a hop lovers dream.


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Maddox MD Real Estate & Homes For Sale
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Artwork Systems Announces Q1 Results: Net Profit is Up by Close to 20%
Monday, February 27, 2006
Press release from the issuing companyGhent, Belgium – February 24, 2006 – Artwork Systems Group N.V., a world leader in professional pre-press software, announces the financial results for the first quarter of its financial year 2006, ended December 31, 2005. Consolidated revenues for the quarter amounted to 12.01 million euro, a decrease of 2.40% compared to 12.31 million euro in the first quarter of fiscal year 2005, and net income(*) amounted to 3.34 million euro, an increase of 17.74% compared to 2.84 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2005. Net income amounted to 3.34 million euro, 19.84% more than the 2.79 million euro in the first quarter of fiscal year 2005. First Quarter Highlights Compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2005, this first quarter saw a healthy increase in business. Consolidated revenues increased from 10.79 million euro to 12.01 million euro, net income increased from 1.89 million euro to 3.34 million euro, and gross margin increased from 79.07% to 84.55%. One of the drivers for the first quarter was Artwork Systems' participation in two major trade shows in September 2005, Print 05 (from Sept. 9-15, in Chicago, U.S.A.) and LabelExpo 2005 (from Sept. 21-24, in Brussels, Belgium), where more new products were introduced than at drupa 2004. The revenue generated from the sales during these trade shows ran into the first quarter of fiscal year 2006 and definitely contributed to the good start. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2006, the split in revenue was as follows: the ArtPro product range amounted to 20%, the Nexus product range amounted to 22%, the Odystar product range amounted to 6%, the Enfocus product range amounted to 20%, and services amounted to 32%. The percentage of revenues for each regional market changed slightly. The share of the Americas decreased from 43% to 39% while Europe increased from 50% to 54%. Asia's share increased from 4% to 5% while the Rest of the World decreased from 3% to 2%. Guido Van der Schueren, Chairman of the Board, comments, "Last fiscal year we had a very weak second quarter; this year, however, it seems that we will be able to continue in the same trend as the first quarter." Share Buy Back Program During the month of July 2005, Artwork Systems Group started implementing the share buy back program approved by the annual shareholders' meeting of January 28, 2005. At December 31, 2005, 823,138 euro is accounted for as Treasury Stock (deducted from equity), representing 79,011 shares. Transition to IFRS As of fiscal year 2006, which started on October 1, 2005, Artwork Systems Group NV reports its consolidated accounts according to IFRS. The transition did not have a material impact on the financial position, results of operations or cash flow. Dividend Payment The shareholders' meeting of January 27, 2006 approved a dividend payment of 1.00 euro gross per share, which will be paid to the shareholders on April 3, 2006 (exdividend date April 3). New Headquarters Artwork Systems and Enfocus Software will be moving their Ghent headquarters to a new joint location, also in Ghent. All employees will occupy six floors in the building previously known as the "UCO Toren". The building has now officially been renamed the "Artwork Toren." Outlook 2006 The company confirms its outlook for this fiscal year of annual revenue between approximately 48.5 and 50 million euro, with a net profit between approximately 12 and 12.5 million euro.
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First Year Abroad
Berklee's First Year Abroad program in Valencia, Spain, offers you all the benefits of a Berklee education while also providing a comprehensive and well-supported international experience in a small-campus environment.
Just as in your entering year on Berklee's Boston campus, the First Year Abroad program develops your musicianship and engages you in a coherent liberal arts curriculum that informs your thinking about issues that have shaped our time. At the same time, the First Year Abroad program provides a life-changing international experience to those students who are especially curious about the world around them.
By living in another country during your first college year, you will greatly expand your way of thinking. The program places you in a culturally diverse setting in Valencia, Spain, a city known for its rich history and its musical traditions. The program also provides you with the opportunity to interact with people of various backgrounds and perspectives, and to explore your new community through additional cocurricular travel and activities.
Living in residence halls with students from Spain and throughout Europe, you will also learn through the informal processes of dormitory life what it means to be a part of a diverse community. You'll learn to analyze problems on a global scale—an ability that can be difficult to master at any age. A year in Spain offers you the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of that country's people, music, culture, and language. But more than this, you'll come to appreciate the diversity of the world in which we live, an appreciation essential in the global society of today.
College students, especially first year students, who study abroad often form a strong sense of community amongst themselves. Overseas, students depend on one another for support as they strive to balance their courses and the intricacies of an unfamiliar nation. Such bonds provide will provide you with a built-in network of close friends to start off your college experience. This is especially true in the small campus environment of Berklee's Valencia location. These friendships will likely continue as you transition to the Boston campus to complete your undergraduate education and may very well serve you as a lifelong support network.
Visit valencia.berklee.edu for program details, or find out how to apply.
Admission to Berklee through the standard application process with an additional personal statement about your interest in the program.
In addition to the first-year learning mastered by all Berklee students, students who complete the First Year Abroad program will:
- articulate their identity in a global context;
- evaluate the connections between their own personal decision-making and various local and global issues;
- evaluate and apply diverse perspectives to complex subjects in the face of multiple and even conflicting positions (i.e., cultural, disciplinary, and ethical);
- apply a deep understanding of multiple worldviews and experiences;
- explain and connect two or more cultures historically or in contemporary contexts;
- apply musical, cultural, and historical knowledge from Spain; and
- address complex global problems using interdisciplinary perspectives independently or with others.


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Friday, March 23, 2012
Printed Pants
28 comments:
Love those pants!! They look great on you!! Have fun on the trip!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 23, 2012 at 9:59 AM
LOVE this outfit!! the pants are simply AMAZING, i loove the top, and your shoes!! :)ReplyDelete
Love those pants! I want a pair. Also loving your necklace. Gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Beautiful! Love that sweater!ReplyDelete
Hot Pink Day
Shop Blue Vanilla
Thanks for the challenge, Miss Kell! You're a formidable foe! I love you so much and I miss you more every time I look at your blog! Have fun on your cruise, Miss Fancy!!ReplyDelete
Lovely! Dying over those pants!!!ReplyDelete
Those pants are awesome!! Love the entire outfit! Have fun on your trip!ReplyDelete
Omg!! I'm in love with your pants!! I'm new on the net...aaand I'm your newest follower! Take a look and follow back if u want =)ReplyDelete
Xx Elisa
The printed pants look awesome on you! I'm really into printed shorts, but haven't ventured into the pants arena yet. Maybe I'll have to change that sometime soon!ReplyDelete
Love that necklace and those pants! Have a great trip!ReplyDelete
I LOVE your entire outfit especially your pants!!! Lucky you for going on a cruise...have fun& be safe.ReplyDelete
You are so beautiful and those pants are amazing!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous pants! Love this look over all. Would you be interested in following each other?ReplyDelete
cute jumper..also the neckpiece..:)ReplyDelete
you look nice in printed pants..
*happy trip*
You're so pretty! Love this sweater and that it's from F21. Killer wedges too.ReplyDelete
xo Rachel
Your sweater and pants are gorgeous. Your little kitty is just so unique and cute too! Hope you're having a blast on your trip! xxReplyDelete
cool outfit love the pants!!ReplyDelete
thx so much 4 stopping by :)))
such a cooooooool outfit! loving that sweater and printed pant combo so much!!!ReplyDelete
thanks so much for your lovely comment on my blog<3 if you arent already would you return the love and follow me back?
xo alax
Cute outfit!ReplyDelete
Lovee those pants so much! <3ReplyDelete
Great outfit. I really love those pants.ReplyDelete
And cute cat btw
Loved' your pants (:ReplyDelete
i love the way you show your own style here.ReplyDelete
I love the color and patterns on your pants/leggings! Very cool unique style ! Love this post come visit my blog if you get the chance!ReplyDelete
I love your trousers! It goes so well with the pop of green on your jumper. Brilliant blog as well..thank you for visiting mine! :) xxxReplyDelete
Ok, now I'm so glad you commented on my blog because I'm totally following after this post. This outfit is just awesome! I love it from the bright stripes on your sweater to the crazy pattern on your pants. And those shoes are so so cute. I hope you had fun on your cruise!! (and i can see the self-professed cat lady part haha)ReplyDelete
aw. Pants are totally awesome! You look so nice.ReplyDelete
Love this outfit! Also totally dig your makeup - what do you use?ReplyDelete


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Moderator: MagsJ
Jakob wrote:Feminism is merely the erosion of female responsibility, the destruction of the virtues of the female, the war against children.
Jakob wrote:As long as the idea is alive that men can be "improved" by addressing their species as a whole, and in derogatory terms, as a mistake, addressing boys who have never harmed a woman, who have perhaps been severely abused by women (mothers and aunts are the number one abusers- they get away with everything after all) as criminals simply for having a penis, womankind has a lot of work to do on herself.
Gloominary wrote:Men are the movers and shakers of this world, they set the trends, do everything good and evil under the sun, while women merely tag along, even feminism is a male invention.
We more likely to kill and rape you but also more likely to save you from another man or a natural catastrophe or yourself, most doctors, firemen, policemen, paramedics and soldiers are men, we invented bombs and bullets on the one hand and vaccines and life saving antibiotics and drugs on the other.
We're both more likely to erect and revolt against a tyrannical government.
Men take risks, we're at the forefront of change, both positive and negative, and so we get all the blame, bear all the responsibility when things go awry, but we also receive the majority of the praise when they things work out, where as women are, and forever will be in the background, in the shadow of men.
They are the spectators in the drama of action and thought, it is easy to cast blame and criticism from the sidelines, but where is the civilization, science, philosophy and technology women built, we're all still waiting for that, but in the meantime, by all means go on hating men, we have thick skin and a strong jaw, we can take it.
No men are allowed to live full-time in the town.Noiva do Cordeiro in south east Brazil is home to 600 women, mainly aged between 20 and 35.
WendyDarling wrote:Jakob wrote:Feminism is merely the erosion of female responsibility, the destruction of the virtues of the female, the war against children.
From a male's perspective, what are female responsibilities and to who do they pertain? Again, please describe these virtues of the female? How are women waging war on children?
Awaiting your answers. A tick and a tock.
thing is, is survival is like sport, women are going to loose!
Gloominary wrote:Well I say go for it.
I have no faith in our society and would love to see more challenges to its reign coming from all angles.
If you can't find any other women out there who have the tits to start what you propose, than why not do it yourself?
1.Be the change you want to see.Already done.
2.Start by distancing yourself from men's conception of both femininity, and masculinity.Already done.
3.Examine yourself and other women deeply.Study up.
4.Create your own definition of femininity according to these examinations, as well as the directions you'd like to see it developed.Agreed.
5.Create your own values, and propagate them among womankind or society at large.Agreed.
Hey I'd love to see some amazonian society come to fruition to challenge ours, so long as it's not hostile or fearful of men to the point where it insists on enslaving or wiping them out, I'm all for it.
I want to see what a society based primarily or solely on feminine leadership looks like.
Gloominary wrote:There's plenty of guys out there who're renters, they'll never own very much of anything, but many are decent, they don't drink too much or beat their women.
They can fix things, cars or computers, and put food on the table, for themselves, their women and children if they have any, but forget about trips to Hawaii, fine dining or expensive clothes and jewelry.
But are these the men 98% of women want to shack up with?
If they have to, on their way to meeting 'Mr Right', AKA 'Prince charming', AKA wealthy, powerful business executive.
Women were always attracted to men with power and status.
Centuries ago it was nobility, further back it was warlords and kings, and now it's men like Donald Trump, and this is what I mean by women being complicit in the evil men do.
Women are often just as greedy and power mad as men, but they don't have to do all the dirty work of buying and selling, hiring and firing, wheeling and dealing, pillaging and plundering, imperialism, genocide, you name it, what they've done for millennia and what they still by and large to do this day is sell themselves, their souls, if they ever had any, to the men that do, which makes them just as guilty in a round about way.
Behind every good man was a good woman, and behind every tyrant, a malevolent harpy.
Where were the women protesting all the wars, or the millions of jobs shipped overseas?
The answer: they were at home, reaping the benefits.
WendyDarling wrote:WendyDarling wrote:Jakob wrote:Feminism is merely the erosion of female responsibility, the destruction of the virtues of the female, the war against children.
From a male's perspective, what are female responsibilities and to who do they pertain? Again, please describe these virtues of the female? How are women waging war on children?
Awaiting your answers. A tick and a tock.
Jakob wrote
Insight in to the psyches motivations, capacity for proper nurture, being able to see to it that different processes unfold in time, "weaving fate" as Pallas Athena, etc. I agree and I also agree that this would be more beneficial to women to do among themselves rather than waste their efforts on men who perpetuate a mindset that has always marginalized women. But also very primarily, being physical in a natural, not provocative, but nurturing way. Again, women need to nurture themselves and forego the effort on unappreciative men. Feminism has, at least in Europe, taken that away from humanity. Women there are like eggshells. Not broken, just hollow eggs. There's nothing inside if they break, and unbroken there's no weight they put in any scales. So men live random lives of shit there, on the whole. A man simply can not function like a proper man without a good relationship with women. Like an atom can not exist without its inner tension working properly. You mean that man cannot function without his favorite toy?
The dismissal by women of men, like your remarks about men in general, is pure sadism, you know that I hope, its a rhetorical means you are using to hurt people, to get a reaction. Men need to be dismissed so that women may thrive. That's a very feminine 'wile', typical of a world where neither men not women know themselves. A women that doesnt honor a man is no woman. Let's say then women will honor men from a safe distance.I am a functional, happy man because of my powerful love and respect for women, and the way I am loved by woman. Men that dont uphold women, women who dont uphold men, these are not worth this Earth, and they will be purged. Lead the men then, show them the way, show them the ketamine stuck up a black, whore's ass.
The next war will be that of the sexes against the sexless. The Transgender revolution is the setup for this war, which will not unlikely eradicate most of humanity. Transgenderism is nothing more or less than the end of the line, natures self-denial, depression and preparation for suicide; A transgender cant procreate. That is what's going on behind the pc facade: the reason people mutilate themselves that way is their loathing of life. Trannies are thus trans-life. Walking death.
The future is mostly up to whether women will manage to find a pride that doesn't rely on shaming their sons, brothers and fathers. A creature that shames its origins and curtails the happiness of its progeny is a miscreant. That's not debatable. If this age is to belong to women, there is work to do. Nothing has been accomplished for woman the past century, she's been marginalized entirely, and no longer holds a respectable place in society - she's just a second or third, fourth, fifth rate mannish thing now. Laws have made some women safer, but its the mentality of both sexes that marginalize women. I'd like to give women a fighting chance to develop to be whole beings with a wishbone, a backbone, and a funnybone that doesn't revolve around the degeneracy of men.
Mr Reasonable wrote:Male agenda?
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Hey everyone! It's Matt here with some exciting news to share with you regarding support for new BlackBerry® Runtime for Android™ Apps APIs in BlackBerry® 10.
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My Flaming Hamster Wheel of Panic About Publicly Discussing Poetry in This Respected Forum
When I was asked by Poetry to write an article for them I was ecstatic. I was flattered. I felt important! I agreed immediately. About twenty minutes after sending my e-mail of acceptance I paused to triumphantly sharpen my claws on the bookcase when I noticed the blazing, neon writing on the wall. It said: YOU'VE NEVER EVEN PASSED ENGLISH 101 AND EVERYONE WHO READS THIS MAGAZINE WILL KNOW IT. Why do I care? I'm not sure. I think it's because I don't want to let poetry down. Poetry is such a delicate, pretty lady with a candy exoskeleton on the outside of her crepe-paper dress. I am an awkward, heavy-handed mule of a high school dropout. I guess I just need permission to be in the same room with poetry.
I think the fear began in about fifth grade. Right off the top they said poetry was supposed to have "form." Even writing a tiny haiku became a wrestling match with a Claymation Cyclops for me. (I watched a lot of Sinbad.) We aren't too cool for poetry; it's the other way around. At least that's the impression I took from public school. The fact that these feelings would remain into adulthood is ridiculous. We all have the right to poetry! How could I still think it's for other people? Smarter people. What's doubly confusing is I don't have the same reservations when poetry is accompanied by music. Perhaps I feel that way because there is music all around us — it's the wallpaper of our lives. It's not considered precious in American culture unless a symphony is performing it.
I do know when a string of printed words busts my little dam and the tears spill over and I sponge them up with my T-shirt. I couldn't give you that formula before it happens, it just hits me like a bat to the face. That's a sweet, hot, amazing, embarrassing moment. It even makes me feel a little included, as if I have to be "ready for the poetry" for it to be happening.
I can't choose which kind of poetry I like best. Sonnets? Prose? I don't know the terminology. I just blurt out some fragmented gibberish into the vast, woodsy country of poetry. It freezes in midair. Here come some examples now . . .
Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus haunts me. Aaron's death speech is veiled, venomous gospel music. I read it over and over even though I've already memorized it like a teenage girl in love. W.H. Auden scares me under the couch (even when he's being funny). I hold my flashlight on "The Witnesses," with its haunting "humpbacked surgeons/And the scissors man," until my arm shakes, my trusty dictionary in my other hand. Dorothy Parker makes me manic! I can't even make it through the first three lines of "The Godmother" without bursting into tears. Lynda Barry and Sherman Alexie save my life constantly. They battle identity crisis with a sense of humor and a language that speaks so hard to me because they came from my home, in my own time, and they talk to me in our special parlance. They tell me I'm not crazy because they remember it too. It really is the old Washington State that created my personal brain-picture ABC's. (D is for "Douglas fir.") The same Washington State I can never go back to. Barry and Alexie volunteer to go in my place. Their memories make friends with mine. I can't live without them.
What do these poets have in common? They don't write sycophantic, roman-numeral-volumed postcards to God. They don't get all "love-ity-love-love" either. I get the sense they imagine their audience and want to comfort them. They are so good at it they even have the ability to comfort us with scariness. Sadness too. I think that is a powerful magic. They don't just write poetry either; they are playwrights and painters and singers and novelists.
How can we help them out? I guess we keep on needing them, even if it's kind of a secret. If the poets handed out anonymous comment cards for us shy poetry lovers to fill out so they could get a better idea of what we needed, I would direct them to the Osbourne Brothers' bluegrass classic, "Rocky Top." They say in two lines what poets and writers "Anna Karenina" themselves to death to convey, about a girl who's "wild as a mink, but sweet as soda pop/I still dream about that." If those lines were written about me I could lie down and die. It is perfection. Uncool Perfection.
Neko Case is a singer and songwriter. She performs solo under her own name, and with the Canadian-bred rock band The New Pornographers. She lives in the wilderness of Vermont with three dogs and two cats, in one bed.
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Friday, August 21, 2015
SIP.....Happy Wonderful Christmas
5 comments:
- Wendy said...
Very pretty! Love this with the red & white twine! This stamp set is on my wish list! TFS Hope you have a great weekend! :)
- August 21, 2015 at 7:48 AM
- Lisa Altman said...
Thank you for joining us at Stamp, Ink, Paper!! I love the colors you chose on your card!! It all comes together so well. The twine and little gold touches are great!!
- August 21, 2015 at 9:54 PM
- Tina Riddle said...
Absolutely beautiful and love the addition of the little gold pearls. Thanks so much for playing along at Stamp, Ink, Paper this week!
- August 22, 2015 at 7:13 AM
- Carolyn Lindenmayer said...
Sweet Christmas card Vicki. I can see how the challenge inspired you with the colours. Thanks for joining us this week at Stamp Ink Paper. Carolyn xx
- August 23, 2015 at 2:01 AM
- Maggie Mata said...
Your Bountiful tiny roses are absolutely bright and oh so pretty. Tina is right, the golden pearls add extravagance to your very pretty card. Thank you for joining us last week at Stamp Ink Paper.
- August 25, 2015 at 5:15 AM


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Thanks for taking the time to visit our website.
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Libyan Rebels in Coastal Push
Libya's rebels celebrate new advances and claim another high-profile defection from the pro-Gadhafi camp. Video courtesy of Reuters.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... sounds celebration take to the east of Irian and Gary ... propelled grenade ... so we ended ... real close to breaching ... the city's central square ... Street pointing foresees going to be unbeaten one hundred ... it's another step in the push to consolidate into the city in its strategic oil refinery ... but the ripple places it's good to see ... this weekend I got it right ... the can ... it ... this change ... Symbion is just despicable that is for the Libyan capital of the rebels cheered the news to the mall ... the push to topple Ghadafi by taking their fight to coastal cities I decided to Tripoli is meeting with stiff resistance ... Gadhafis information minister said late on Friday picked up ... its forces retain the ... and and so we are at the time ... in another development rebel forces released footage of a full the Ghadafi right hand man they say has defected ... Abdul Salam Jianghuai Ghadafi's Fullman de BTU said to be in rebel held Tara tree in the Western Mountains ... Genuity was a member of the littler behind the nineteen sixty nine to that rule Ghadafi to power ... he was seen as the state's second become old people holding on to top it prevented the nineteen nineties ... it's unclear how Christian who does begin to Ghadafi since the ... defection it confirmed ... its building a psychological colluded with the community ... it's ...


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2013 Abando Blanco, Late Harvest, Barrel fermented, Bodegas Santalba
Appellation: Rioja
Vintage: 2013
The wine is a brilliant gold-tinted colour with complex aromas of tropical and citrus fruits, botanical notes and mint. It has delicate vanilla and toast aromas from fermentation in American oak. In the mouth it is rich with excellent acidity and a persistent finish.
Bodegas Santalba: Santiago Ijalba and his son Roberto own and run this Bodega in the village of Gimileo 4 kilometers from Haro, the wine capital of the Rioja region. They follow the usual Rioja practice of using their own grapes supplemented by those of several contract growers. Tempranillo is the dominant grape but they also use small quantities of other Rioja red grapes, Garnacha, Graziano, and Mazuelo. This is a modern bodega but making both traditional and modern wines at the very pinnacle of Rioja wines.


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Bullfighter fatally gored in Spain fuels debate about controversial sportJuly 10,2016 17:07
Bullfighter fatally gored in Spain fuels debate about controversial sport. A Spanish bullfighter has been gored to death in front of horrified spectators. He was the first to be killed in the ring in more than three decades. Víctor Barrio. Bullfighter ...
Bullfighter Victor Barrio died after being struck in the chest by a bull, which kept attacking him as he lay motionless on the ground. The attack, which occurred at a bull ring in the eastern town of Teruel on Saturday evening, was aired live on television.
Other toreros rushed in to try to rescue Barrio, attempting to distract the 500 kilogram (1,100 pound) bull. Medics were also at his side immediately. However, it was too late for the 29-year-old, who succumbed to his injuries. Barrio was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the organizers of the corrida (bullfight). He is the first Spanish bullfighter to have died in the ring in the 21st century.
Spanish President Mariano Rajoy Brey sent his sympathies after the death.
"My condolences to the family and colleagues of Victor Barrio, the bullfighter who died in Teruel. Rest in peace," he wrote on Twitter.
Reactions from the bullfighting community
Fellow torero Manuel Escribano tweeted: "There are no words in moments like these. May God take you in his glory. Rest in peace, my comrade and friend."
Torero Eduardo Gallo said: "It can't be true. Words fail me. This is one of the most impactful pieces of news in my life. Rest in peace, comrade."
First matador to be killed in 32 years
The last Spanish matador to be killed in the ring was in 1985, when 21-year-old rising star Jose "El Yiyo" Cubero died after being gored through the heart. In 1992, two banderilleros - assistant bullfighters - died in the ring.
In 2015, prominent Spanish bullfighter Francisco "Paquirri" Rivera Ordonez was badly injured after being gored in the groin by a bull. His father had been gored to death in 1984. In the 20th century, a total of 134 bullfighters and bull-racers died from injuries sustained in the ring or during similar events.
In Mexico, another center for the sport, famed matador Rodolfo Rodriguez was gored by two bulls earlier in the year and left quadriplegic. He died a month ago of a heart attack possibly related to complications from his injuries.
Criticism of a billion-dollar industry
Bullfighting has come under fire in recent years from animal rights activists who denounce the sport as cruel and dangerous. Several regions or cities have put a stop to corridas and encierros - annual bull-running festivals. Bull-running remains popular in
Pamplona in northeastern Spain in particular.
On the same day as Barrio's death, a Japanese man was gored in the chest during the bull-run in Pamplona. He remains in a stable condition. However, another Spanish man was killed during a bull-run in the southeastern city of Valencia the same weekend.
Bull-running also sees many people injured and killed
Many maintain, however, that bullfighting is steeped in tradition, while also fueling parts of the Spanish economy. According to official figures, 1,868 bull-related events were held in Spain in 2014, which attracted six million spectators. The sport is said to bring in 3.5 billion euros ($3.8 billion) annually.
However, with the animal welfare party PACMA winning 1.2 percent of votes in elections in June 2015, bullfighting is becoming a
hotly debated issue in the country. The group has long campaigned to bring an
end to the sport.
Clashes on Twitter
Many people have since voiced their anger at the tradition of bullfighting on Twitter, with disparaging and highly critical statements making the rounds, while others shared more moderate views.
Many Spaniards meanwhile shared sentiments of sympathy and disbelief, with tweets often featuring the acronym "D.E.P." (Rest in Peace) alongside messages of condolence.
Read more: Deutsche Welle - Bullfighter fatally gored in Spain fuels debate about controversial sport
Victor Barrio,Jose Cubero,Francisco Rivera Ordonez,Manuel Escribano,Eduardo Gallo,Pamplona,corrida,