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WASHINGTON — Managers at the National Institutes of Health are increasingly ignoring the advice of scientific review panels and giving hundreds of millions of dollars a year to scientists whose projects are deemed less scientifically worthy than those denied money.
Many of the favored recipients are "new investigators," or scientists who had never before received a grant from the health institutes. By skipping projects submitted by older scientists and instead choosing to issue grants to projects from less experienced scientists, agency managers hope to use the scientific equivalent of affirmative action to encourage graduate students and newly minted professors to make careers in academia.
The practice has stirred a debate among researchers. Mark O. Lively, a professor of biochemistry at Wake Forest who is president of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, said he taught many new investigators and noted that he was once one himself.
"I see the value of providing more opportunities to our graduates," Dr. Lively said in an interview. "There's an important need to create openings for those individuals."
But Peter Farnham, a spokesman for the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, said the health institutes had gone too far.Continue reading the main story
"At 19 percent, they're taking too much from the more seasoned investigators," Mr. Farnham said. "We would be comfortable with a somewhat lower level."
Sally Rockey, the institutes' acting director for extramural research, said all projects financed by the agency were worthy.
"By reaching down, we're not sacrificing the quality of the science but instead reaching new investigators," Dr. Rockey said. "We have a far greater amount of high-quality science projects than we could ever fund."
In 2007, the last year for which figures are available, 19 percent of the grants awarded to individual scientists were made as exceptions, or given outside of rankings by scientific reviewers, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office provided to The New York Times. That amounted to 1,059 grants totaling more than $380 million and was nearly double the level of 2003, when 10 percent of grants were made as exceptions.
Nearly all of the increase in exceptions in 2007 went to new investigators, with the young scientists' share rising from 20 percent of all exceptions in 2003 to half in 2007 — a share that continues today, Dr. Rockey said.
Representatives of many of the major scientific organizations said they supported favorable treatment for new investigators, a policy adopted by the former director of the health institutes, Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni. Dr. Francis S. Collins, the geneticist who led the government's successful effort to sequence the human genome, was confirmed in August as the institutes' new director.
The stakes are high. Getting a grant from the health institutes is a rite of passage for scientists, and investigators who fail often leave academia because universities rarely underwrite the entire cost of research.
In 2007, after years of nearly flat budgets, the agency financed only 21 percent of grants deemed worthy by scientific reviewers. The median age at which scientists land their first N.I.H. grant has risen steadily, to 41 years, from 35 in 1980.
This year, the agency received $10 billion in economic stimulus money on top of its usual $30 billion budget. The budget is expected to drop back to $30 billion for next year. With a limited pot of money, every exception grant means that another grant deemed by a panel of experts to be scientifically superior will not be issued. In 2007, younger applicants had a better chance of landing an individual grant from the health institutes than older ones.
The National Institutes of Health has long been the world's premier research agency for two reasons: It has lots of money, and it distributes much of that money through competitive scientific reviews.
There has been a growing chorus of complaints over the years that the agency's scientific review process is deficient — that it fails to finance high-risk research; that projects must effectively be half done before financing is approved; that cliques control the process; and that reviewers are rarely the field's leading lights.
Remedies for those perceived problems have often resulted in giving agency managers greater discretion in grant decisions. But science experts disagree on how much discretion is advisable, with some defending scientific review the way Winston Churchill defended democracy: "the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
Exceptions are made entirely at the discretion of the directors of the agency's 27 institutes and centers, and the reasons behind them are not audited or monitored by the director of the National Institutes of Health. In their report, Congressional investigators said that failing to monitor such discretionary decisions was risky.
Dr. Rockey said that every exception made at the institutes was for "highly meritorious applications" and that institute directors never skipped too far down the rankings. But she agreed with the accountability office that no one really checked.
"We don't know," she said.
Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, a leading Republican voice on health issues, expressed concern that the health institutes might not be monitoring the grant process closely enough. "Deviations from the peer review process need to be well documented and made transparent so scientists and taxpayers can trust the decisions made by this agency," Mr. Grassley said.
In a written response to the accountability office, officials at the Department of Health and Human Services said the director of the health institutes did not need to monitor the use of exceptions. "Specific reasons for skips and exceptions must and should rely on the judgment of scientific officials who understand the current trends in science," the letter stated.
Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said that new investigators did need help but that somebody should monitor the process.
"You would think that the office of the director would want to look at performance statistics across the agency," Dr. Benjamin said. "Hopefully, the new director will be able to put that in place."Continue reading the main story


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The formerly anonymous cash-dropping philanthropist-to-the-people who goes by the Twitter handle @HiddenCash has tweeted today that he is hanging large bills from trees somewhere in the San Fernando Valley. Follow him on Twitter for clues — and keep an eye on our live blog for the latest in all things @HiddenCash.
On the morning of July 10, 2014, lucky people were finding money at Balboa Park in the Van Nuys-Encino area of the San Fernando Valley.

subset: commoncrawl


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This is a problem with Unity 2D on 12.04. More advanced 3D has no such issue.
Alt+F1 accesses the launcher menu, with arrow keys to navigate the list (side menu).
Alt+F10 accesses the
top bar in an open application (or
Alt+an underlined menu item letter), which allows access to the global ubuntu settings in the top right (battery, wifi/networking, audio, time/calendar, user, power).
Alt+F10, when no application is open and you're just staring at the desktop, accesses those ubuntu settings immediately.
But the
top menu bar does list, in the top left, menu commands for the desktop per se (create new folder, go home, help, start server, etc). These can be accessed only by mouse hovering and click. No way to get to them only by keyboard (arrow keys just cycle through the settings, don't jump over to the left side of the top bar).
Is there a keyboard shortcut way to access the desktop menu bar for manipulating icons on your desktop and other general things? Or is this a work in progress for unity?
If you use the
context menu key (or some equivalent you've set to generate that signal) along with other shortcuts for working on the desktop, you can cover most of the functionality of the
top menu bar. However, I don't want to memorize those keys to become proficient. I just want a way to open and browse through those menu items (and they aren't ALL available through hotkeys anyway).


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Financial markets are full of uncertainty, but how rising rates affect bond prices isn't all that mysterious. In this week's featured question, we explore how to estimate the damage rising rates may inflict on bondholdings.
Q. Hi Dan. I really enjoy your articles. My wife and I are both retired. We have two IRA's. One is $162,000 and the other is $125,000. Our RMDs start next year. All in a bond fund. I am getting nervous about the outlook for bonds and I am not sure what I should do. I know interest rates are going to rise which will hurt bonds but I don't know how badly. We are comfortable right now but we cannot afford to lose much money. I would appreciate your thoughts. Thank you — Allan
A. Thanks Allan. I enjoy writing these.
You don't need to wonder how rising rates affect bonds. The shorter the term of a bond, the less damage will be done by rising rates. In January, my firm posted a commentary on rising rates. In it there is a chart of the behavior, from May 1- Dec. 31, 2013, of an exchange-traded fund that holds short-term Treasurys and one that holds long-term Treasurys. Interest rates rose a little last year and you can see the effect clearly in the chart. The long-term bonds lost about 18% but the short-term bonds were hardly affected. The trade-off for the stability of shorter-term bonds is that the shorter-term bonds tend to pay less interest.
The extent your holdings are exposed to interest rate risk can be assessed by a mathematical calculation called duration. If the fund you hold has a duration of say 7, a 1% rise in rates will cause a drop in value of about 7%. A shorter duration would result in a smaller drop in prices.
Of course, you would still collect interest which will offset some of the drop. If your fund yields 3% and rates rise 1%, after a year, the fund should be down around 4% (-7% in price reduction + 3% in interest payments).
Don't interpret this to mean higher yields mean greater safety. That may not be true if the higher yields are coming from bonds issued by parties with weak finances. Wall Street likes to label these "high yield" but they were once commonly known as "junk bonds." ("High yield" sure sounds better than "junk," doesn't it.) Find out what percentage of a fund's holdings are below "investment grade." The fund company should have the duration and credit quality information handy.
You can easily find two funds with the same duration but different yields. If the higher yield is coming from lower quality bonds, you may want to pick the lower yielding fund but the yield could just be higher simply because the higher yielding fund has a lower expense ratio. If your current fund has a duration that is too high, or credit quality that is too low for your tastes, look for funds with a duration and quality profile with which you are comfortable.
Q. My wife and I are both 62. I plan to work until 66 but she would like to retire now. Let's assume her retirement benefit will be $1,000/mo if she retires now (at 62).Let's assume I will receive a benefit of $3,000/mo when retiring at 66.Can she retire now and collect the $1,000/mo and then convert to spousal benefit at 66 receiving 50% of my benefit of $1,500/mo. Thank you — Gary
A. Not quite. Yes, she can switch if you file or file and suspend at 66 (your FRA). However, she won't get the full $1,500 because she filed early. It should be closer to $1,167.
Q. I am over 59.5 years old, still working, and would like to roll most of my 401(k) over to an IRA to expand the investment options available to me. However, I would like to leave the company stock portion of the 401(k) alone and preserve the NUA treatment until some point in the future. I plan to continue working and contributing to the 401(k) some number of years, which will include additional purchases of company stock. Can this be done? The rules seem to indicate that all assets in the 401(k) must be rolled over or distributed to a taxable account (NUA treatment) in the same tax year. Is it possible to take a partial rollover of non-company stock to an IRA now, continue to add contributions to the 401(k), and then roll over the new balance of other investments to an IRA and take a distribution of the company stock to a taxable account and get the NUA treatment several years from now? — T. H.
A. T.H., you get a gold star. Look in your plan documents for "in-service withdrawals." Chances are good you can roll out any portion you like. The Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) rules you refer to would come into play once you separate from service. At that time, to use NUA treatment, you are correct that all the assets would need to come out in the same tax year.
Q. My wife started claiming Social Security early at 63 years of age and at the same time, at 66, I started claiming 50% of her Social Security. If I now retire at age 69, and as my wife is now at FRA 66, can I claim my own SS and can then at the same time my wife suspend hers and claim 50% of mine and let hers increase until she reaches 70? — Rich
Reader questions on all things retirement answered Mondays and Fridays. If you have a question for Dan, please email him at: firstname.lastname@example.com
More from Dan Moisand »
A. No. She can suspend and earn delayed credits but she cannot also get a spousal benefit off your record at the same time. To do that she would need to file a restricted application but her prior filing for her retirement benefits disqualifies her from that option.
Dan Moisand's comments are for informational purposes only and aren't a substitute for personalized advice. Consult your adviser about what is best for you.
How this top bond fund skirts interest rate fears
Reduce equity risk with structured notes


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Ultraviolet is outside of the visible spectrum. It isn't a color cause you can't see it. (Same for "infrared" on the other end of the spectrum.)
Purple is normally a darker color than violet.
Here is more than you probably want to know about purple:
Purple - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thespectral colors violet and indigo are not purples according to color theory but they are purples according to common English usage since they are between red and blue.
Violet is a spectral color (approximately 380420 nm), of a shorter wavelength than blue, while purple is a combination of red and blue or violet light.[10] The purples are colors that are not spectral colors purples are extra-spectral colors. In fact, purple was not present on Newton's color wheel (which went directly from violet to red), though it is on modern ones, between red and violet. There is no such thing as the "wavelength of purple light"; it only exists as a combination.
Student or Learner


text:
Thin Crash
Sizes: 16" 17" 18" 19"
Weight: thin
Volume: soft to loud
Stick Sound: washy
Intensity: lively
Sustain: medium
Bell Character: integrated
Sound Character: Medium bright, full, silvery, breathy. Wide range, slightly complex, dense mix. Soft, giving, very responsive feel. A sturdy thin crash with a rich,
cutting character. Perfect for patterned playing and filling sound spaces in minimal instrumentation.
|Artists playing this Cymbal !
Sound Room:
Click the icons below to hear them.
Download MP3 Sound Files 2002
Click the icons below to hear them.
Download MP3 Sound Files 2002
Home > Products > Cymbals > 2002 > Crashes > Thin Crash | Extreme Crash | Crash | Medium | Power Crash | Wild Crash |


text:
He Was Robbed
Ugandan boxer Abdul Tebazalwa's failure to secure a knock-out against Choi Tseveenpurev detonated his chances to snatch the WBF featherweight belt.
Three recent fights prove that the old adage is true—the best way to win in boxing is by knockout.
In a fight here in the U.K. on Sunday, Ugandan boxer Abdul Tebazalwa's failure to secure a knock-out against Choi Tseveenpurev detonated his chances to snatch the WBF featherweight belt. Yet he dominated the fight, forcing the entire Tara Leisure Centre audience that had been rooting for the champion into deathly silence.
The split decision bout which favored the WBF Champion Tseveenpurev and left many boxing scribes seated at the ring-side wondering the yard stick used. Was it the politics of the game?
Across the ocean in the United States recently, Jameel McCline knocked heavyweight champion Samuel Peter three times, but the Nigerian recovered to demolish the challenger in the later rounds; we week before that, in a thrilling fight, Jermaine had knocked down challenger Kelly Pavlik twice and all but finished him in their title fight. Pavlik recovered to knock Taylor out.
Here in the U.K., ring-side boxing writers and this reporter scored the fight for Tebazalwa, also known as Cobra. The three fight judges gave the Ugandan 113 to 110; a second gave the fight 118 to 114 for Choi and a third 109 to 101 for the champ.
"Abdul has been robbed of the title. I can tell you, Abdul has won the fight, but I don't know what happened to the judges not to stand firm and do their job without undue-influence," says the President of Professional Boxing Scandinavia, Rolf Traff.
Traff added that, "There is no doubt Abdul dominated the fight right from the fourth round. But this is unbelievable for the judges to decide otherwise."
Boxing agent, Danny Lutaaya, finds a silver lining in the clouds: "This good for Abdul, it's his first time to fight with such atmosphere. He has opened up his avenues. Though, the fight has been given in favor of the reigning champion this shouldn't deter Abdul. This is his first loss, yet the champion had four losses before this fight."
Choi improves to 25 wins and 4 losses. He was rocked throughout the fight and bled from the Ugandan's ferocious punches.
The Cobra is now 10-1 (7 Kos) with a single draw. "I don't think he is even happy with the results. I knew that, I would land him a KO and win a fight, but the guy has a strong head," the Cobra says.
Investigative news reporter Miwambo writers for The Black Star News from the U.K. He is also an avid sports fan.
To comment or to subscribe to or advertise in New York's leading Pan African weekly investigative newspaper, or to send us a news tip, please call (212) 481-7745 or send a note to email@example.com
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Latest comments
- Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...
googletag.pubads().definePassback('6785150/BENN/BlackStarNews', [[300,250]]).setTargeting('fold',['BTF']).display();


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I am not asking this question to start arguments (people often consider Java and .Net as religions) but which provides a better foundation and helps to gain real programming skills (of Computer Science and Web Development), I have worked with ASP.NET and C# but most of my time spends on Dragging and Dropping i am a C++ programmer and Drag and Drop irritates me.I haven't tried Java so i want to ask is Java also like .Net family (Drag and Drop)?
closed as primarily opinion-based by user40980, gnat, Bart van Ingen Schenau, World Engineer Mar 17 '14 at 14:17
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
I believe that Java exposes one to a more broad set of platform concepts. C# clearly has some programming niceties that Java could use. 6, half-dozen, 1 or the other. – Jé Queue Jan 10 '11 at 5:30
13Will writing my novel in English or Spanish make me a better author? – JP Alioto Jan 10 '11 at 6:02
@JP Indeed. This is exactly the wrong kind of subjective question. The answerer would either be biased (the language they espouse was their foundation) or ignorant (the language they espouse was not their foundation), or doesn't actually pick one. – Matthew Read Jan 10 '11 at 6:22
@ JP : English. as it can be read by huge mass. True, Both are tools but definitely one is much better than other. I have seen many programmers complaining that "Drag and Drop" ruined their programming skills. :) – Deadlocked_Thread Jan 10 '11 at 6:23
2@Deadlocked_Thread so just don't "Drag and Drop" you don't have to. You don't have to use any of the GUI editors. That isn't going to be what makes or breaks you as a developer, neither is the language. Your design, development, coding, ect skills are what matters. If you choose to randomly guess and accept an implementation because "it works" you haven't done yourself or anyone else a favor because you just hacked it instead developing it. – Beth Whitezel Jan 10 '11 at 6:36
If all you get out of C# is that there are a bunch of drag and drop tools, you haven't gotten very far with the language. Actually, unless I was doing a quick and dirty winforms app or a really brain-dead webforms app, I can't remember the last time the visual tools played much a role in my development cycle. But I usually write Asp.Net MVC code when I do web stuff in C#, and in most of the real projects I've done I've spent more time designing the object model than I did dealing with UI concerns.
C# is far more expressive, as a language, than Java. The functional constructs like Linq (and the features that Linq required C# to offer) and the convenience of things like delegates (vs inner classes) and auto-properties are really nice. But Java has a really compelling ecosystem of well-designed open-source frameworks and packages that mostly make up for the crummy language. Also, dealing with dependent libraries with the help of tools like Maven or Ivy is a lot more pleasant than in C#, at least if you ever build products that co-evolve with other toolsets. Microsoft is only recently finally getting around to making the experience of dealing with libraries in your software configuration management process more rational.
Compared to C#, Java requires a lot more boilerplate code that doesn't do much for readability or maintenance, other the fact that everyone is used to the same level of tedium for every kind of problem, and nobody finds it surprising. Code Gen tools are at least as common in the Java space as the visual designers are in C# UI, but the thing is, in the .Net ecosystem I have plenty of ways to avoid the need to use those kind of visual tools, whereas avoiding tedium and code-gen in Java requires you to use another language that works in the JVM. But if you want to deploy your code on a Linux box or a Mac, you'll have an easier time of it if you are working in Java, especially if you go down the road of doing something in WPF or Silverlight for UI.
In Java, you'll probably spend more time mastering various frameworks than you'll spend learning the language, because the language is really simple and almost minimalist. The frameworks are often tacitly trying to work around limitations in the language. There's nothing inherently evil about that, it's just a different philosophy. In C#, programmer convenience and expressiveness are more highly valued than uniformity. There's really something very comforting about the rigidity of Java as a language, especially if you're forced to make sense of someone else's code. You can spot poor coding practices very quickly. In more expressive languages, you may have to spend more time understanding what the side effects of a particular choice of syntax might be.
I'm a language geek, both when it comes to programming languages and natural languages. I'm thrilled when someone throws me a project that would benefit from Ruby or Boo or Groovy or F# or whatever, because I get to take advantage of the fantastic expressiveness of those languages. There's nothing wrong with learning C# or Java, as long as you're willing to see the limitations that you encounter there honestly, and especially if you go and explore other options beyond the mainstream from time to time.
I think it's better to learn both, because Java and C# are a big deal in mainstream application development, and you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to have a good understanding of what's out there. But don't mislead yourself into thinking that one or the other will make you a better programmer. If you were comparing Basic, PHP, or Pascal to Java or C#, I would say you're better off learning Java or C#, but there's not a particularly important reason for your personal development to decide between Java and C#.
But don't shy away from alternatives either. Lisp, Scala, Ocaml, Python, Ruby, and even things like IO are worth learning.
Drag and drop tools were mostly designed in an era when it was really hard to construct UI. It was tedious to build a UI in C, C++ or Pascal circa 1992. Tools like VB and Delphi made this less painful. When .Net emerged, it was important to retain the IT developers and consultants that Microsoft (and Borland) had made successful with the help of visual tools. But that doesn't mean that C# (or even VB.Net) is about drag and drop. Those are just aspects of the whole toolkit, and really, they don't matter nearly as much as they used to. The era of "RAD" has mostly passed, in favor of testability and separation of concerns.
1What does drag and drop have to do with the programming language? The language has no support at all for drag and drop tools. Also, the same exact sort of tools exist for Java. – John Saunders Jan 10 '11 at 11:33
1What a fantastic answer :). – Martijn Verburg Jan 10 '11 at 11:45
@John, I agree. Though, to be completely fair, a small subset of features were added with drag and drop tools (and code gen) as the motivating scenario, namely, partial classes. – JasonTrue Jan 10 '11 at 19:02
@Jason: code gen, yes, not just drag and drop. – John Saunders Jan 11 '11 at 1:13
@Jason : Yes learning both will be a better choice but what should i start with? – Deadlocked_Thread Jan 11 '11 at 5:19
I've programmed in both. They are both good skills to have and I would not say one is intrinsically better than the other for developing your skills. You don't really need to choose, it would be good if you learned a little of both. Their syntax is fairly similar and, for the most part, what you can do in one you can do in the other.
Assuming you have to choose one, something that could help you choose would be what type of programming you want to do when you start or where are you likely to look for a job and find out what that area tends to use more. If you are going to school they will probably have one they focus on over the other.
1Typical impartial answer. – Gulshan Jan 10 '11 at 8:24
My opinion is: Go for that technology in which you feel comfortable but ill suggest you to study languages like C/C++ because that will help you creating your concepts very clear and you know little deeper then a C# person
I'm with BitOff here: both are good for developing your skills. One, however, is more prone to locking you into a specific vendor's line of products. Even with the Mono project, .NET is pretty much purely a Microsoft environment. If you don't mind this, then use the .NET environment. It is in many ways a cleaner place than the JVM world (although that's getting slowly cleaned up in the JVM side). On the other hand if you don't want to get locked into Microsoft's world and/or are paranoid of Microsoft's purported evil monopoly, you may want to stick to the JVM side.
Personally, I don't do Microsoft stuff any longer so if given a choice between Java/JVM or C#/.NET, the choice is clear. Your situation and needs will differ and only you (and your local job market) can decide.
@ Just My : Local Market has scope for both, but its hard to guess future :) – Deadlocked_Thread Jan 10 '11 at 6:51
In the long term the predictions tend to show that vendor lock-in is a bad idea. Ideally you might want to learn both and use in the short term the one that's most likely to get you a job tomorrow. – JUST MY correct OPINION Jan 10 '11 at 7:23
I admire you for using terms "Vendor lock-in" and "Microsoft's purported evil monopoly" :). – Deadlocked_Thread Jan 10 '11 at 7:30
1I think the question was- "which provides a better foundation and helps to gain real programming skills (of Computer Science and Web Development)?" And you missed that point. – Gulshan Jan 10 '11 at 8:22
@Gulshan: No I didn't. Reread the first sentence. It's important. (Hint: there's a link there too.) – JUST MY correct OPINION Jan 10 '11 at 9:58
You say you ask this because of the Drag and Drop functionality in .NET irritates you..
When developing ASP.NET web forms, you can also choose to write the ASP GUI objects diectly in HTML code view. I have code view set as default in VisualStudio, so I get into the visual drag-and-drop Design view only in a rare occasion when I want to get a quick look at how a specific design change might look like.
Instead of dragging a button in, you can just write directly in the HTML source:
<asp:Button runat="server" id="btnMyButton"
Text="Click me!" onclick="btnMyButton_Click" />
Then in the C# code, all you have to do is to add the handler method:
protected void btnMyButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
// The onclick code goes here
You can alternatively connect to the event manually in the C# code (instead of
onclick="btnMyButton_Click" in the tag declaration):
this.btnMyButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.btnMyButton_Click);
This would typically be done in
If you do some development in WPF, you also have the possibility to not use the Drag and Drop by entering code directly as tags.


text:
Adam Banford necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 55 diseños de 16 diseñadores freelance.
My Kidz Matter and http://www.mykidzmatter.com
My name is Adam Banford and I'm the Kidz Matter representative for Utah. We are creating the Family Festival to bring child safety, health and fitness awareness to parents, children and our community.It will be held annually around Halloween, one of the most dangerous times for children, and is expected to draw an attendance between 5,000 and 8,000 people.
The Kidz Fair at the event will feature Vendors / Sponsors who will provide safe, informative product demostrations and information handouts to families while raising money to support the Utah Special Olympics and local educational scholarships. Kidz Matter is the promotional organization arranging the entertainment and vendors for the event.
Today, Kidz Matter reaches across the Las Vegas and Salt Lake City communities and promotes our mission through the giving of grants/scholarships and by conducting live activities and events.
Tomorrow, Kidz Matter will empower kids across the country, and will serve as a resource for parents and educators who want to develop children for success. We will expand our outreach with an interactive web experience that will allow kids to develop critical leadership and life skills. Our curriculum begins with life skills for toddlers and advances with leadership training that will allow a child to earn a college scholarship and make a positive impact on their community.
The Family Festival's main target market will be children between ages 2-15 and their families. The logo needs to be attractive to kids and inviting to their parents. It should have a child-safety, fitness, health and/or family/community theme. It also needs to be something which can be used for future Family Festivals as we are planning this as an annual event.
As mentioned in the "target audience" section:
The logo needs to be attractive to kids and inviting to their parents. It should have a child-safety, fitness, health and/or family/community theme. It also needs to be something which can be used for future Family Festivals as we are planning this as an annual event.
Colors are up to you, maybe something not too wild but bright or cheery enough to cach the eye of children.
Logo should try to include the text "Family Festival" and "A Kidz Matter Event" if possible without crowding it too much. Please do not include dates, times, prices or other information.
I plan on putting it on various types of media including: flyers, banners, sponsorship request forms, thank you notes, television commercials, etc... so I need a file format that is compatible. Probably a .ai file (I have Adobe Illustrator CS4 so that format would be fine.)
Admittedly, I don't know too much about logo file fomats so if an illustrator file is not ideal please send me whichever one is!
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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In April, 1951, Richard Yates sailed from New York to Paris. He had been there twice before, as a child and, later, as a soldier, but for him, as for so many American writers, it was less a place than a laurelled idea—the silvery and careless city of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Careless, but a literary workshop, too: Yates said that he was determined to produce short stories there "at the rate of about one a month." Then twenty-five years old, he was beginning an indenture that would last until his death, in 1992. Around the compulsion of writing he shaped everything else. There were two other compulsions, smoking and drinking, but they only killed him, while writing plainly kept him alive. (He was an alcoholic, but he rarely wrote while drunk.) He lived in New York, in Iowa, in Los Angeles, in Boston, and, finally, in Alabama, yet his homes were identical in their shabby discipline of neglect. In each there was a table for writing, a circle of crushed cockroaches around the desk chair, curtains made colorless by cigarette smoke, a few books, and nothing much in the kitchen but coffee, bourbon, and beer. Friends and colleagues found these accommodations appallingly bleak; for Yates they were accommodations for writing.
Paris was never the glamorous hubbub for Yates that it had been for an earlier literary generation, but it was there, and in Cannes, and then in London, that the young writer began his career. There is a wonderful moment in Blake Bailey's 2003 biography of Yates when, after fourteen unpublished short stories, the fifteenth ("Number 15 off the production line" is how Yates described it) is sent to The Atlantic, narrowly rejected, and then finally accepted—for two hundred and fifty extremely useful dollars. A cable brought the marvellous news, in unstopped sky-high capitals. Over the next few years, Yates made only a modest living from his stories, but they brokered his reputation, and secured the interest and encouragement of a publisher who, like all publishers, wanted a novel, not a book of stories. That first novel was "Revolutionary Road" (1961)—the basis of a new movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet— and it could be said to have dissolved its creator's career even as it founded it, because Yates never published a novel half as good again. To put it brutally, he had about ten good years. His later fiction was compulsive but not compelling, necessary to him but not to his readers, who would always chase the fire of his first novel in the embers of its successors.
Yates's early stories, now gathered in an edition with "Revolutionary Road" and his 1976 novel "The Easter Parade" (Everyman's Library; $26), are highly disciplined, formally chaste. Because "Revolutionary Road" became the decade's great, terrifying indictment of suburban surrender, Yates's stories are often likened to John Cheever's, but they are closer to J. F. Powers's: the same richly restrained prose, luxuriously lined but plain to the touch; the same anxious comedy; the same very cold, appraising eye; and the same superb ear for the foolish histrionics of speech. Out of the apparently diplomatic conformity of mid-twentieth-century American realism—the sort of style that made short stories commercially salable—bursts the monstrous ego of Yates's male characters, smashing all the eggshell niceties. These men are vulnerable, easily provoked by female competition or resistance, and their theatrical, role-playing speech haplessly shrouds and reveals their anxieties, in clouds of unknowing. John Fallon, in "The B.A.R. Man," lives in Sunnyside, Queens, and has been married for ten years to a woman who can't have children and who, tellingly, "earned more money than he did." When he has lunch with three colleagues, conversation turns to military service, and Fallon is obscurely irritated by the complaining of his friends. None of them, he points out, had to carry a heavy Browning automatic rifle, or B.A.R., as he did. "Every son of a bitch in a rifle company's a specialist, if you wanna know something," he says. "And I'll tellya one thing, Mac—they don't worry about no silk gloves and no tailor-made clothes, you can betcher ass on that." His anger feeds on his inadequacy, because, Yates reveals, he had in fact fired his gun only twice, "at vague areas rather than men, had brought down nothing either time, and had been mildly reprimanded the second time for wasting ammunition." At home, Fallon is cruel to his wife. They are due to go out to a movie, but he picks up the bra she has laid out on the bed—"a white brassiere containing the foam-rubber cups without which her chest was as meager as a boy's"—and waves it in her face, saying, "Why d'ya wear these goddamn things?" Fallon tears out of the house, goes drinking, dances at a club, and tries to pick up a woman who isn't interested. He, however, can imagine her body, "undulant and naked, in some ultimate vague bedroom at the end of the night"—one of those moments when a seemingly transparent Yates sentence suddenly takes on riches.
Yates's noticing of the padded foam-rubber bra is typical. These stories share with "Revolutionary Road" an astonishing comprehension that is sometimes a little close to cruelty. What impresses is the refusal to let sentiment seep in (though in the later work this toughness, as in Hemingway, can become its own species of sentimentality). "The Best of Everything" is a masterpiece of bleakness, equal to one of Joyce's stories in "Dubliners." It is two days before Grace's wedding, and her roommate has discreetly absented herself for the night, so that Grace's fiancé, Ralph, can visit. She prepares for him—she takes from her trousseau a sheer nightgown of white nylon and a matching negligee. But Ralph turns up late in the evening, and is wholly involved with his own trivial drama: the boys have given him a surprise party, and he is expected back. Does he like what she is wearing, she shyly asks. He feels the slight material between finger and thumb, "like a merchant," and asks, "Wudga pay fa this, honey?" Grace tries to get Ralph to stay, but understands that her appeal—"Can't they wait?"—sounds just like "the whine of a wife." Ralph insists on going, and says, on the way out, "So I'll see ya, Penn Station, nine o'clock tomorra. Right, Gracie? Only, before I go . . . I'm fulla beer. Mind if I use ya terlet?" As he leaves the house, Grace says wearily, "Don't worry, Ralph . . . I'll be there." And the story ends there, where it has to, at a perfect zero of hope.
On his return from Europe, in September, 1953, Yates went back to work, as a freelance copywriter, for the company that had hired him four years earlier, the business-machine giant Remington Rand. He found it dull, but said, years later, that "it occupied only about half of my working time and so financed the whole of my first novel." For a year, he and his wife and daughter lived in a ranch-style house in Redding, Connecticut. It was this close suburban life, with its dreary drunken rituals and stolid neighbors, along with the Yateses' frequent marital fighting, that provided the material for "Revolutionary Road," though most of the book was written not there but in the small town of Mahopac, New York, where the Yateses lived in a ramshackle cottage on a genteelly rotting private estate.
In the novel, Yates and his wife become Frank and April Wheeler, who live in a suburban Connecticut house, at the end of what is called Revolutionary Road (past a new development called Revolutionary Hill Estates). It is 1955. Frank is anything but frank, and springlike April will die in the fall. Life on Revolutionary Road is theatrical. The novel begins with a performance, ends with a performance, and courses throughout with performances of one kind or another. As it opens, the local amateur dramatic group is presenting a play, "The Petrified Forest," whose lead player is April Wheeler. The evening is a disaster—the actors lose their nerve and mangle the script—and, afterward, April and Frank argue violently. She is mortified by the disaster and wants to be left alone; he, wheedling and paternalistic, wants the husbandly right to soothe her, and thus assert a moist control.
Frank works in New York for Knox Business Machines but prides himself that he takes his job ironically, that he cares nothing for it, and that his real life is elsewhere. Yates was playing a morbid joke on himself when he created Frank Wheeler, because Frank is Yates without the writing: he is saving himself for an invisible "creative" life that he is too unimaginative to envision. When April suggests that the family go to Paris and that he give up his job, Frank's bluff is called. Europe had been the great dream of escape. But seven years earlier, when the couple were first together, April had got pregnant, and that escape had been deferred. This time, they will really do it! As April coaxingly reminds him, "You'll be doing what you should've been allowed to do seven years ago. You'll be finding yourself. You'll be reading and studying and taking long walks and thinking. You'll have time." But perhaps there is no Frank to find. The plan for Paris frightens him, though he keeps his fear quiet. For a while, he goes along with April's bovarysme, halfheartedly tries to learn French, and even announces his determination to leave his job in the fall. But, when April later tells him that, once again, she is unexpectedly pregnant, he gladly seizes the solution. Paris can't now go ahead, or will have to be delayed by several years. Yates comments, "The pressure was off; life had come mercifully back to normal." Frank is forever rehearsing scenarios in his mind, and in one of them he imagines April asking him what they will do now:
"Well, but what about you?" April would say. "How are you ever going to find yourself now?" But as he firmly shut off the hot-water faucet he knew he would have the answer for her:
"Suppose we let that be my business."
And there was a new maturity and manliness in the kindly, resolute face that nodded back at him in the mirror.
But April, determined not to have a third child, tries to abort her fetus at home, and dies in the bungling of it. Frank's children go to live with his brother and wife. At work, Frank is promoted.
"Revolutionary Road" is a brilliant rewriting of "Madame Bovary," with one signal difference—at the end of Flaubert's novel, both Emma and Charles Bovary lose, because she commits suicide and her dull husband is utterly bereft. In Yates's savage inversion, the wife loses but the dull husband secretly wins: though deprived of wife and children, he prospers at work, and finally secures for himself the safe, settled world that his wife died trying to dislodge. In "Revolutionary Road," mid-century American suburban man is so maddening because he is both a rank escapist and a conservative pragmatist: he has arrogated to himself twin rights that ought to be incompatible—to dream of escape (and have adulterous affairs, like Emma Bovary), while simultaneously dreaming of timid stability, like Charles Bovary.
Yates's novel is—in just this Flaubertian manner—both traditional and radical. Its traditionalism can be felt in the way it flourishes the artisanal virtues of structure and finish. The prose is beautifully alert and poised: "his thin mouth already moving in the curly shape of wit, as if he were rolling a small, bitter lozenge on his tongue." The book's form is a solid delight of symmetry and repetition. Just as April's first pregnancy scuppered the original European escape (but didn't really, because Frank never intended to go), so her third scuppers the later one (but doesn't really, either, for the same reason). Frank's father also worked at Knox. A play opens the novel, and a performance ends it, as the Wheelers' neighbors, the Campbells, tell the new owners of the Wheelers' house about the tragedy that has vacated the property. In the very last pages, Mrs. Givings, the appallingly eager real-estate agent who had sold the Wheelers their house, describes, to her husband, the new owners in the same language she once used to describe the Wheelers: "She's very sweet and fun to talk to; he's rather reserved. I think he must do something very brilliant in town." Frank's children, now motherless, will have the kind of parentless existence with their uncle that April Wheeler had as a child, and which, her husband felt, damaged her. So the horror begins all over again: these repetitions and circularities overlap to make the novel's heavy plait of determinism.
Above all, the novel is nimbly prismatic. It seems to offer a familiar critique of the suburbs, of the kind we know from movies and books like "American Beauty" and "The Ice Storm," in which the streets are amok with hysterical housewives and angry soft men. Yates himself said that he intended the novel to function as "an indictment of American life in the nineteen-fifties":
Because during the Fifties there was a general lust for conformity over this country, by no means only in the suburbs—a kind of blind, desperate clinging to safety and security at any price, as exemplified politically in the Eisenhower administration and the McCarthy witch-hunts. . . . I meant the title to suggest that the revolutionary road of 1776 had come to something very much like a dead end in the Fifties. But the tale is subtler than the teller, because the novel does not allow us an easy point of agreement. Mrs. Givings's son, John, is a former mathematician who has suffered a breakdown and has been taken to a mental hospital by the state troopers. He is occasionally let out, and twice visits the Wheelers. At one point during his first visit, Frank condemns "the hopeless emptiness of everything in this country," and John Givings eagerly agrees: "Now you've said it. The hopeless emptiness. Hell, plenty of people are on to the emptiness part; out where I used to work, on the Coast, that's all we ever talked about. We'd sit around talking about emptiness all night. Nobody ever said 'hopeless,' though; that's where we'd chicken out. Because maybe it does take a certain amount of guts to see the emptiness, but it takes a whole hell of a lot more to see the hopelessness." This has the ring of an authorial statement, the leathery, hard-won "honesty" for which Yates is praised. (Blake Bailey's absorbing biography is titled "A Tragic Honesty.") And John Givings's status as an outcast, a mental patient who sees through the congealed horror, lends him a seerlike authority. But remember that it was the thoroughly inauthentic Frank Wheeler who supplied the easy Conradian phrase "the hopeless emptiness of everything," and who, pages earlier, denounced the suburbs for locking up people like John Givings:
Wasn't this, he asked, a beautifully typical story of these times and this place? A man could rant and smash and grapple with the State Police, and still the sprinklers whirled at dusk on every lawn and the television droned in every living room. . . . "Call the Troopers, get him out of sight quick, hustle him off and lock him up before he wakes the neighbors. . . . It's as if everybody's made this tacit agreement to live in a state of total self-deception."
Once again, just as we quickly reach for our own preferred weapon of condemnation—yes, we say to ourselves, how very true is this "beautifully typical story of these times and this place," how right this book is about "the hopeless emptiness of everything"!—we find the novel judging our own judgmentalism, qualifying our superiority. And the novel escapes, somehow, to live another, more complicated and mysterious life.
Detractors of classic realism like to claim that it is the most complacent of narrative styles, because it never questions its own artifice. But "Revolutionary Road" is, essentially, a novel all about artifice, and thus about its own artifice. When Frank criticizes the suburbs for being insufficiently daring, his complacent ranting has the feel of a performance, no more successful than April Wheeler's "The Petrified Forest." But then Frank is always playing a role. He is introduced as a man who had "the kind of unemphatic good looks that an advertising photographer might use to portray the discerning consumer of well-made but inexpensive merchandise (Why Pay More?)" As a student at Columbia, he played at being an intellectual—he was "a Jean-Paul Sartre sort of man." He plays at being a father, and at being a husband. Later in the book, when he is trying to persuade April not to attempt the abortion, he decides that he must impress her as he had once done when they were young. He embarks on a long effort to dissuade her, which involves "a form of masculine flirtation that was as skillful as any girl's." He holds his head "unnaturally erect," and takes care to arrange his features in "a virile frown" whenever he lights a cigarette. On Revolutionary Road, life has collapsed into advertising: his attempt at dissuasion is described by Yates as "a sales campaign."
But, of course, a novel in which characters have become brand names—"a Jean-Paul Sartre sort of man"—is a novel that also raises the question: So what is a rounded literary character? Frank's theatricality is a form of fiction-making, after all. When Mrs. Campbell, at the end of the novel, tells the new owners about the "tragedy" of the Wheelers, she does so in a spirit of corrosive and luxurious gossip—her voice, Yates says, had taken on "a voluptuous narrative pleasure." But she is doing, in this sense, no more than the novel itself has done; and if we find Mrs. Campbell's lingering and cruel narrative offensive we shall have also to judge Yates's own lingering and cruel narrative, and our ready complicity in it. In its forty-seventh year, "Revolutionary Road" seems more radical than ever.
Yates's work is probably most radical in its obsessive treatment of the question of gender. (I suspect that this is where "Revolutionary Road" had the greatest influence on the conception and the narrative argument of the TV series "Mad Men.") His stories and novels return repeatedly to the weakness and hysterical anxiety of mid-century American masculinity. His fiction, begun in the early fifties and written throughout the next four decades, was closely shadowed by the Second World War. For Yates, that war seems to have functioned a little like an impossibly stern father: no performance would ever suffice. If you fought in it, you never fought bravely enough (Yates was anxious about the bravery of his own conduct in the 75th Division, in Europe); if you missed it, the rest of your life would be perforated with inadequacies. In the novel "Disturbing the Peace" (1975), John Wilder, a bipolar alcoholic obsessed with his shortness, angrily recalls that his father would always claim that his son fought in the Battle of the Bulge, but that this was not true. Andrew Crawford, in "The Easter Parade," is sexually impotent; perhaps not coincidentally, he was passed over for war service. The aimless and oafish Evan Shepard, in "Cold Spring Harbor" (1986), fails the military exam; it is downhill in his life from there.
Yates was, apparently, a relentlessly traditional man, who believed that women should have babies and stay at home. He cleaved to the unreconstructed rigors of alcoholism, Brooks Brothers, and homophobia. His biographer records an incident in which the novelist and his first wife were tussling over how to work the car heater. When she proved to be correct, he exploded, "Well, cut my penis off!" So it is a considerable tribute to his novelistic suppleness that he so ruthlessly dramatized male selfishness and insecurity. His men operate along a terribly narrow track, squeezed on one side by patriarchal expectation and on the other by female competition. Frank Wheeler feels outdone by the surpassing competence of his father's hands, "and the aura of mastery they imparted to everything Earl Wheeler used." Even on his deathbed, the father's hands "looked stronger and better than his son's." Yates acutely places gender at the center of "Revolutionary Road," by having April Wheeler propose that in Paris she work to support her ideally free husband. It could be said that the novel turns less on the question of abortion, or the stupor of the suburbs, or the timidity of Eisenhower conformists, than on the single question of whether a wife should be allowed to work. Frank nervously pictures this man-eating drone: "When she came home to the Paris apartment her spike-heeled pumps would click decisively on the tile floor and her hair would be pulled back into a neat bun; her face would be drawn with fatigue."
Frank absurdly lectures April about how wanting to have an abortion might be an expression of her desire to be a man—that she is trying to open herself up "so that the—you know—so that the penis could come out and hang down where it belonged." But the nice joke of the book is that Frank is the traditionally conceived "woman" of the house: he is hysterical, preening, an effeminate masquerader checking in mirrors the proper impact of his face, a parlor soldier. "Mad Men" uses the unfair wisdom of hindsight to mount an anti-masculinist case against the early nineteen-sixties that is also a feminist case: contemporary viewers can all be counted on to root for Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), the secretary at Sterling Cooper, to be given her chance as a copywriter. Yates's work is not feminist, partly because it is much more interested in men than in women (only in his novel "The Easter Parade" did he ever display a systematic sympathy for a female character), and partly because its fanatical involvement with male anxiety comes to seem somewhat defensive. But, in a generation of male writers deeply invested in maintaining male status, it is Yates whose work most lucidly lays bare the bitter price of that investment for both sexes. "Cold Spring Harbor" recounts the useless and coolly adulterous life of Evan Shepard. In its closing pages, Evan hits his wife, Rachel, and, like John Fallon in "The B.A.R. Man," angrily runs out on her. Rachel consoles herself by looking after their newborn son. "Oh, you little marvel," she tells the baby. "You're a miracle. Because do you know what you're going to be? You're going to be a man." They are the novel's final words. ♦


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Mount Pulaski High School
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[June 03, 2014]
Pulaski High School commencement was held on May 24th, at 4 p.m. in
the high school gymnasium. The ceremony began with the posting of
colors by Mount Pulaski American Legion Post #447. The processional,
"Pomp and Circumstance" was played by the Mount Pulaski High School
band, under the direction of Mr. David Helm. Mr. Brady Thomas led
the Pledge of Allegiance. Opening remarks were given by Mr. Derek
Baunach. Miss Cady Lowery, 2014 senior class president, addressed
the group and Mr. Terry Morgan gave remarks.
Madison Haley was named Valedictorian and Miss Jordan Taylor and Mr.
Jordan Luczaj were co-Salutatorians, all three addressed the group.
Students who had a 3.5 or above cumulative grade point average were
awarded honor pins. A senior class slideshow, prepared by Miss Cady
Lowery, was shown. Diplomas were awarded to twenty-nine graduates by
school board members Mr. John Stewart and Mr. Joe Olson. Closing
remarks were given by Miss Emma Stewart. The Mt. Pulaski American
Legion retired the colors, and the recessional, played by the high
school band, completed the ceremony.
See also:
Mount Pulaski High School recognizes students at Honors night
The following students were awarded diplomas:
Adams, Jana Lee
Bailey, Stephanie Nicole
Baunach, Derek Michael
Boward, Hannah Elaine
Bowles, Alexis Cheyenne
Brocialle, Chloe Paige
Chandler, Madison Ann
Dierker, Dustin Kenneth
Fanning, Zachary Allen
Fielden, Samuel Baer
Haley, Madison Michelle
Hascall, Troian Mckenzi
Hoock, Marcus Charles
Leinweber, Ridge Wade
Lowery, Cady Jo
Luczaj, Jordan James
Mattingly, Marissa Renae
Meagher, Kiersten Nycole
Scassiferro, Nicholas Ian
Siembida, Chelsea Lynne
Smith, Nicholas Alexander
Stewart, Aaron Mitchell
Stewart, Emma Ann
Stopher, Troy Alan
Taylor, Jordan Christian
Thomas, Brady Michael
Tschantz, Owen James
Van Rheeden, Maxwell LaRue
Volle, Ronald Adam
[List from file received]
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How To: Make Graphic Cork and Leather Hanging Memo Boards
After recently completing our office makeover, I realized I needed somewhere to put all those random little notes and lists and other office-y bits. You know, something people like to call a "memo board". After looking around, the only options appeared to be giant rectangular boards, emphasis on giant. And rectangular. Since I like to keep things a little quirky (and colorful and covered in pattern), I decided to make my own!
This is an easy afternoon project for just about any skill level. So, let's grab some supplies and hop to it!
1. cork trivets (2 per memo board -- I got mine from IKEA)
2. painter's tape (contact paper or a stencil will work as well)
4. clear craft glue
5. leather cording (you could also use ribbon, cotton cording, etc.)
6. foam paint brush
Optional: Xacto knife and ruler (if you're planning to get fancy with your design)
1. Tape off your design, rubbing and sealing the edges of the tape well to prevent as much paint-bleed as possible. Same goes for contact paper if you're using it (like I did here). If you're gonna get fancy with your design and use a craft knife, you can cut directly on the cork itself.
2. Using the foam paint brush, apply the paint to the open cork areas first by dabbing (to get the paint in all the nooks and crannies) then brushing. If you're painting the edges of your memo board a contrasting color, you can do it now or at the end. I chose to paint the edges of both trivets now.
Note: Depending on the color you use, you may need to apply more than one coat. If so, just wait until the first coat is dry, then go for it!
3. Once the paint is dry, flip the memo board over. Cut a length of cord, about 9 inches, and create a loop. Place the loop where you'd like your board to hang, then staple it in place. Grab the clear craft glue and apply it generously to the backside of the memo board, as well as underneath the loop.
4. Take the second trivet and place it on top of the exposed glue, lining it up with the edges of the first trivet. Now, grab a large, flat, heavy object to set on top. This could be a box full of books or rocks, etc. I used a box of leftover tile from our kitchen makeover. Whatever you use, set it on top and leave it there while the glue dries, which will take a few hours.
5. Once the glue is dry, remove your big heavy object, flip the memo board over, and admire your handiwork. Voila! You just made a mini hanging memo board! Now go make a bunch more!
Happy crafting!


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Stepping into the fray
As violent demonstrations roil Hong Kong, a bold group of volunteers is providing moral support and physical protection for young protesters
As violent demonstrations roil Hong Kong, a bold group of volunteers is providing moral support and physical protection for young protesters
Turkey is deporting Christian workers and church leaders, despite bowing to U.S. pressure one year ago in releasing American Pastor Andrew Brunson
Too many kids in the foster system end up on the streets once they reach adulthood
Christians are among the first casualties in a U.S. retreat that has triggered a Turkish offensive into Syria
Andrée Seu Peterson / Janie B. Cheaney / Joel Belz / Marvin Olasky / Mindy Belz / The Editors /
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Metro Minute / Snapshots of China / Sophia's World / Whirled Views /
Movies / Books / Television / Children's Books / Q&A / Documentary / Music
Quick Takes / Quotables / Human Race / News
Despite success in the U.S. elections last year and Iraq's success in its recent elections, many conservatives as we enter spring are walking around with wintry faces. Perhaps that's because the left still dominates the realms that create cultural messages-media and academia-and because last week judicial imperialism reared its head once again, this time in the person of a California Superior Court judge who ruled that gay couples have a right to marriage licenses.
Hadley P. Arkes is one of the nation's leading observers of how the interplay of law, media, and presidential leadership can change a culture. A political philosophy professor at Amherst College since 1966, he is the author of Natural Rights and the Right to Choose (Cambridge University Press, 2003) and five other distinguished books. He was the architect and main advocate of the Born-Alive Infants' Protection Act, which he first proposed in 1988 as "the most modest first" step for legislating on abortion and pushing those who call themselves pro-choice to face the logic of their positions. President Bush signed the act into law in 2002.
Here he answers questions about how to fight back against abortion and same-sex marriage propaganda.
WORLD: Is President Bush missing opportunities to have an effect on changing the abortion culture?
Arkes: The Department of Justice, in the middle of February, moved to enforce, for the first time, the Born-Alive Infants' Protection Act, the law that protects a child who survives an abortion. This was a focused, important act, making a strategic point, but so far the news has not made its way to the public. Nor did the media cover the debate over the law itself and its enactment, for they did not care to draw attention to the bill and its import.
The matter might have been different if President Bush had joined the argument over the bill or even pointed up its significance before it had been passed. We see then that even the most focused acts of an administration may not draw notice, or shape the public understanding; but a president, at the top of the state, does draw attention, and even his words offered in passing may have a deeper resonance.
WORLD: Like Reagan?
Arkes: Ronald Reagan mused aloud on the question of whether fetuses feel pain, and those words set off discussions and debates rippling through the country, and making their way to late-night television. President Bush could have a comparable effect if he were willing, in the same way, to pose questions, or muse aloud, for as we've learned, when the president of the United States muses aloud, people listen.
WORLD: Could he also put some pressure on the Democrats?
Arkes: The Democrats now sense that they have a problem with the issue of abortion, and they are trying to make overtures to the pro-lifers. But all of their offers leave intact the notion that a child in the womb may be destroyed for wholly private reasons, without the need even to render a justification. The president can test the Democrats and lure them in by drawing them back to the Born-Alive Infants' Protection Act.
He can remind them that they did not oppose this Act-that no Democrat voted against it. But he could point out that the Act did not contain penalties, and he could invite them to join with the Republicans in revisiting that Act and facing that question of penalties: How serious a matter is it-how serious a penalty would be appropriate-for withholding medical care from a child born alive, marked for abortion?
WORLD: And how would the Democrats react?
Arkes: They would be given a chance to show their sincerity, but the question would be a stern one for them, for it would mark the first instance of the Congress legislating penalties for abortion since Roe v. Wade. At the same time, the President would bring home again to the public that abortions may be performed now through the entire length of the pregnancy, extending even to the moment of birth.
The president could advance matters further-and deepen the problem for the partisans of abortion-if he proposed simply to remove federal funds from all hospitals and clinics that house partial-birth abortions or the "live-birth" abortion, the procedure in which a child is delivered, and then put aside to die. He could raise the question-just raise the question-with the Internal Revenue Service about the hospitals that perform these "abortions."
WORLD: Some folks in the administration would be concerned that he would receive a press roasting for that.
Arkes: He should get the vapors-gasp for breath-because he has been criticized by The New York Times? As the first Mayor Daley once said, "I have been vilified, I have been crucified, I have been . . . criticized!" But the president could soften the criticism, and throw his adversaries off balance, by suggesting, first, that we back away from criminal and civil penalties, and take an approach even more moderate: that we may simply remove federal funding, or withdraw tax exemptions. After all, the institutions that house these surgeries would be in violation of federal law and not "in accord with public policy." Do they stand then to lose their tax exemptions? The mere posing of the question, on the part of the president, is likely to produce some striking effects.
And one further gesture: The president could bring out the Olasky proposal to have more ultrasound machines in offices (especially crisis pregnancy centers) that counsel women who are pregnant. Recent experience confirms that the sight of the child in the womb has the most pronounced effect in inducing people to change their minds about abortion. And yet the arrangement is still consistent with the notion of abortion as "a woman's choice."
[Editor's Note: H.R. 216, The Informed Choice Act, introduced by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), would provide funding for the purchase of ultrasound equipment by nonprofit tax-exempt organizations.]
The Democrats would not have to give up any of the premises underlying a "right to abortion." But this move would put the Democrats into a train of steps that must undercut, with every step, the surety and conviction that sustains them as they seek to support a right of abortion, unqualified, unrestricted, at any time, for any reason.
WORLD: Could the president take some modest steps regarding same-sex marriage?
Arkes: Yes, as before: They involve the planting of questions, the dangling of premises, the public musing over an argument. The problem is that Mr. Bush prefers to sound sentiments or themes ("the culture of life"), but he rather shies away from framing an argument or making a case. That is, he tries to touch the chords of sentiment, but he doesn't seek to engage the reasoning of the public.
WORLD: If he were given to making comments that test premises, what kinds of questions could he raise?
Arkes: Here's one-the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts held that the law may not "privilege procreative heterosexual intercourse between married people above every other form of adult intimacy." Mr. Bush could then muse aloud: Does that mean that a man may marry his natural son, when the son is an adult? Or a man could marry his daughter if she is an adult-and sterile? Is it enough then for a marriage that we have two adults who are intimate? But then why only "two"?
If the Court in Massachusetts is right and marriage has nothing to do with begetting, then why should a marriage be confined to two people? We have now the "polyamorous," who claim that their love is woven into a larger ensemble of three and four. Why do we refuse them the right to marry the people they love?
WORLD: What would you do with the question of "civil unions"?
Arkes: The Supreme Court of Massachusetts showed that any move to incorporate civil unions in the law would give the judges all of the leverage they need to strike down the traditional laws on marriage. If a legislature grants all of the privileges of marriage in a form of civil union, but then merely withholds the name of "marriage," the judges find the presence of an invidious discrimination. The implication they find is that gays and lesbians as a class have been disparaged, that they are not regarded as worthy of marriage in the way that other couples are. In contrast, the laws that barred fathers from marrying daughters said nothing "invidious" about fathers or daughters. The president, in a gesture of tolerance and good nature, has held out the possibility of "civil unions." But he cannot do that without undermining his whole position in the defense of marriage.
He could pose this question: If the purpose of begetting children is no necessary part of the understanding of marriage, then why shouldn't the benefits of same-sex partnerships be extended to heterosexuals? Two widows, two brothers, might find an advantage in sharing Social Security benefits and having joint tax returns. Why not make the arrangements available without implying in any way that there is a sexual relation in the coupling? In that way too the law would not be pushed into the position of conferring a special standing or putting a stamp of legitimacy on homosexual sex.
WORLD: What's the lesson of the 11 referenda votes against same-sex marriage?
Arkes: The securing of marriage has a deeper, resonating significance in the culture war. The American people are a tolerant lot, but they would draw the line at same-sex marriage. One gay activist in Princeton took notice of the recent votes in 11 states to reject same-sex marriage, and he recognized that the vote was really beyond the matter of marriage. He and his friends drew the inference that the voters were really recording their aversion to the homosexual life. The American people continue to be tolerant, but when they hold the line on the matter of marriage, they are marking the limits of their willingness to be badgered further and have their children catechized in a new view of the moral world.


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Kodye & David
Coto De Caza, California
"Country Clubhouse wedding Photography"
Everyone is going to Rant & Rave over your Wedding Photos!
You'll be walked through the entire process of your photo session and taken great care of every step of the way. Besides having an awesome experience, you're going to love your Wedding photos and they will become some of the most important memories for you, your family and your friends.
He photographed a 5 year old girl, not realizing that he'd be photographing her as a bride over 15 years later at the same beach.
"I can't tell you enough what an
amazing photographer Val Westover is!"
He blew me away with the ease at which he was able to get my kids smiling and laughing. They absolutely LOVED him and he was so good with them. I highly recommend him to any family, especially families with small kids. I will cherish these pictures for my entire life and I give full credit to Val. He is my photographer of choice as he has been photographing me since I was a little girl and has done everything for me including my senior pictures, engagement photos, wedding and now my growing family. Once he takes your pictures, he will be your photographer for life as well!
— Megan Watson
The Wedding Calendar is waiting just for you!
Los Angeles • Orange County, California • Salt Lake City, Utah


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The "Supremes" decide on assisted suicide: What should a doctor do?
- Publication Date
- Aug 15, 1997
- Source
- Keywords
- Disciplines
- License
- Unknown
Trace Archive RFC v.2.4 7/22/2008 Preface This is a revised version of the original Trace Archive RFC. The purpose of this document is to specify a means of exchange of traces and their ancillary data. In the four years that have elapsed since the Trace Archive was originally developed, the scope and uses of the data have evolved. Revisions have been made this document will clarify, and in some instances change, the contents that are to be submitted in specific fields. To accommodate new data sources, additional fields need to be added and specified. In addition, required data for specific trace types will be clarified. This proposal covers: • Goals • Ancillary Information • Submission Information The biggest changes involve: The addition of new fields to accommodate environmental sample data • These additional fields allow the storage of experimental data related to the field. This is especially important as these sets of data do not fit into our normal taxonomic classification of traces. Modification of the description of the STRATEGY and TRACE_TYPE_CODE fields • Currently, STRATEGY and TRACE_TYPE_CODE fields are largely redundant. The proposal involves changing the description of the STRATEGY field to reflect the experimental strategy (rather than the sequencing strategy) used to produce a trace. This should not only better reflect the data, but also make retrieval of large sets of data easier. Changing the SUBSPECIES_ID field to STRAIN field • Most of the data in SUBSPECIES_ID field was actually related to STRAIN or cultivar information, so it makes some degree of sense to change the name of this field. Subspecies information can be related in the SPECIES_CODE field. Addition of new requirements • Currently, it is quite difficult to use certain data sets because there is not enough ancillary data associated with the trace. Initially, the trace archive had few restrictions because not every field is applicable to every TRACE_TYPE_CODE and STRATEGY combination. There is no change to the


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In a sublime dreamscape on the sands, this ultra-luxe oceanfront townhome brings effortless ease to the feel of estate living at an exclusive address offering an unmatched experience.
Basking in an oceanfront dreamscape right on the sun-drenched sugar sands, this ultra-luxurious four-bedroom townhome is one of just three residences at The Villas of Highland Beach, an exclusive gated enclave designed to offer a lifestyle experience truly unlike any other. Gracing the coastline like a grand Mediterranean villa, the classically inspired architecture takes on modern sophistication inside the two spacious living levels served by a private elevator. The artfully curated finishes throughout the home interpret tradition in a freshly refined way, coming together in a designer look, also featuring gallery-like wall space that can serve as a showcase for large-format works of art.
Embraced by a stunning spiral staircase, the rotunda foyer sets the tone carried into the fireside oceanfront living room, an exquisite salon-like space connecting to the oceanfront dining room and professional-style bar room - all designed to make entertaining a pleasure. Placing the attention on the ocean's blue brilliance framed against the sunny skies, window walls spill outdoors to the breezy loggia and private splash pool, next to lush lawns bordered by a private dune walkway crossing to the wide sands caressed by the waves. Other notable features of the home range from the spacious family room to the handsome office, media room, and oceanfront master suite, a dreamy fireside retreat that indulges in a spa-inspired double bath and fabulous wardrobe room. There is also direct elevator access to the entry level's four-bay garage. Bringing effortless ease to the feel of estate living, having the scenic beauty of Highland Beach in close proximity to world-class attractions, this exceptional oceanfront townhome offers the best of every possible world.
South Ocean Boulevard, Highland Beach, Florida. Prestigious Highland Beach sits on the northern shores of Boca Raton, just south of Delray Beach, placing world-class shopping, dining, and culture close by.
Exquisitely finished in timeless modern elegance, this ultra-luxe townhome provides four bedrooms, five and a-half baths, a private elevator, and four-bay garage in the grand total of 7,925+/- square feet. High ceilings, architectural millwork, and impact-rated glass are featured along with floors of creamy marble and easy-care engineered hardwood. Outdoors are multiple loggias and balconies plus a private splash pool.
First Floor: Off the rotunda foyer with classically inspired spiral staircase, a graceful arched gallery leads into the oceanfront living room that opens to the loggia. Set off by a coffered ceiling and sleek gas-flame fireplace, this elegant gathering space is served by a professional-style bar room that connects into the handsomely custom-fitted office. Broad archways connect the living room to the bright oceanfront dining room, highlighted by a tray ceiling done in white-gloss Venetian plaster. Pocket doors slide open into the high-style chef's kitchen with furniture-grade cabinetry, white onyx counters, Wolf gas range and oven, Sub-Zero refrigerator, and Miele dishwasher. Another set of pocket doors enters the large family room opening to a south balcony. This level also provides a powder room, laundry/utility room, and guest suite with Juliet balcony.
Second Floor: Off the upper gallery is the custom-fitted media room. Capturing the sublime ocean view from inside and out on the relaxing loggia, the dreamy master suite is highlighted by a coffered ceiling and centers on a romantic fireplace between custom built-ins. The suite's fabulous custom-fitted wardrobe room connects into the double bath designed as a spa-like oasis featuring a jetted tub, multi-head shower, and two separate water closets. A private laundry room completes the master quarters. There are two more bedroom suites, one opening to the oceanfront loggia and the other to a southwest balcony.
- List Price
- $6,200,000
- Property Type
- Condo / Townhouse
- Lifestyle
- Condo
- Bedrooms
- 4
- Bathrooms
- 5 full / 1 half
- Total Square Feet
- 7,925
- AC Square Feet
- 6,631
- Garage Spaces
- 4
- Year Built
- 2011
- Taxes
- $56,332
- Tax Year
- 2018
- New Construction
- No
- Bar
- Built-in Shelves
- Closet Cabinets
- Elevator
- Fire Sprinkler
- Fireplace(s)
- Foyer
- French Door
- Laundry Tub
- Pantry
- Roman Tub
- Volume Ceiling
- W/D Hookup
- Walk-in Closet
- Wet Bar
- Stories
- 3
- Carpet
- Marble
- Wood Floor
- 2 Master Baths
- Bidet
- Dual Sinks
- Separate Shower
- Separate Tub
- Pets Allowed
- Yes
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Grants, Committees & Partnerships
Safety & Health Investment Projects (SHIP) Grant Program
Find out how to qualify and apply for grants to improve workplace safety or help injured employees get back to work.
Partnerships (VPP & START)
Apply for programs that spotlight your companys achievements in workplace health & safety.
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PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Sutherland finally broke through on the PGA Tour Champions, taking the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship — and the topping the yearlong competition, too.
Sutherland closed a 5-under 66 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Vijay Singh at Phoenix Country Club, the tree-lined course hosting its first tour event since the Phoenix Open left for TPC Scottsdale in 1988.
"I don't even know. It's like a whirlwind thing. It's amazing," Sutherland said. "I mean, the names on this trophy are incredible. I've seen it, and to be on that list is just, I can't even put words to it, it's just amazing."
Bernhard Langer, the winner of the first two playoff events, had a 64 to tie for 12th — five strokes back. Langer slipped to second in the season standings, missing a chance to win the title for the fourth straight year and fifth overall.
"It was never meant to be fair," Langer said. "It was meant to be playoffs. Everybody in the field was given a chance to win. Is it fair? No, it's not, but that's how it is right now."
The 53-year-old Sutherland won for the first time in 78 starts on the 50-and-over tour and ended an overall winless streak of 341 events. He entered the week fifth in the Charles Schwab Cup season points standings, the last spot where the player had to only win the tournament to take the $1 million annuity. He earned $440,000 for the tournament victory.
The only player to shoot 59 in senior tour history, Sutherland had 15 top-10 finishes this season, finishing second three times and third twice. His lone PGA Tour victory came in 2002 at La Costa in the Accenture Match Play Championship.
"I played really well all year and I just couldn't find a way to get a win. So, to win this tournament, it's unbelievable. I'm sure in a couple days it will sink in a little bit, but right now it just seems like I'm not even sure it really happened, I keep pinching myself. It feels good and it's been a long time since I won a tournament."
Sutherland finished at 15-under 198. He played the final 46 holes without a bogey, opening Sunday with a birdie on the par-5 first, eagling the par-5 seventh and adding birdies on the par-4 ninth and 16th.
Singh shot a 63. He opened with an eagle and birdied the last two.
John Daly (65), David Frost (67), David Toms (67) and Lee Janzen (67) tied for third at 13 under.
"I love old, traditional golf courses," Daly said. "I know this is one if you hit the fairways, you know you can score well on, and if you don't, you're not."
Sutherland had a 63 on Friday to move within two strokes of leader Paul Goydos, the tournament winner last year at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale. Goydos closed with a 72 to tie for ninth at 9 under.
"I know Paul didn't have the best day today," Sutherland said. "Paul's a good friend of mine, but it allowed me to kind of sneak in there and win. ... He's my biggest supporter. He's constantly telling everybody about how well I'm playing. I'm like, 'Paul, I don't need a publicist.'"
Langer led the tour with seven victories, winning three of the five majors, and set an earnings record with $3,677,359 in his sixth straight money title. The 60-year-old German has never won the season-ending event.
"I have to pinch myself," Langer said. "Just got to be really grateful and thankful."
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Study finds Carlton County ranks near bottom in health outcomes
Representatives from Carlton County's Public Health program reported Carlton County ranks near the bottom in a Minnesota study on health outcomes for its residents. What does this mean? The study looked at 25 factors that influence health, such as childhood poverty, adult obesity, access to dental care, graduation rates, physical inactivity, and percent of children in single family homes, to name a few, and Carlton County was ranked against the 86 other counties in Minnesota. Of those 86 counties, Carlton County was ranked 81.
The report was presented to the Carlton County Board of Commissioners as they met for a committee of the whole meeting on May 7.
The health outcome score is measured in five ways:
1. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 75, the age an average person can expect to live.
2. Percent of adults reporting "poor" or "fair" health.
3. Average number "poor physical health" days in past month.
4. Average number "poor mental health" days in past month.
5. Percent of live births with low birth weight.
An aging, retired resident population does have some impact, it was noted. The top three priorities to address are obesity, mental health, and drug abuse. There are a score of programs working on the issues through Health and Human Services. Text4Life, a suicide prevention program for teens using a hotline method has been funded, for example.
The report goes on to say: Leading causes of death, common with other county entities, is cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Carlton County struggles in this category because we have more suicides than almost any other county in Minnesota. Suicide tends to occur among younger adults with mental health issues and drug abuse. Treatment for mental health issues among the resident population is not always successful if the client is not cooperative. Mental health commitments are rare unless there is a concern for public safety.
One Duluth mental health provider who wished not to be quoted reflected, "We are hampered in helping segments of the resident population with mental health issues if they refuse help. The legal system reinforces the idea that they have the right to be ill. Health care professionals and law enforcement can have their hands tied due to this. Early death for those with mental issues or injury or death for family members or friends results quite often. As a society, we have not been able to solve this recurring problem."
Concerns for behavioral health impacts due to the flood of June 2012, it was announced, were being addressed with a $120,000 grant from the state for addressing these health issues. According to Dave Lee, Director for Health and Human Services, more than 50 percent of our county population has some behavioral health issues from the losses from flooding. Many disaster victims had previous behavioral health issues, it is felt. More information is forthcoming.
For more information, visit http://www.countyhealthrankings.org.
Other business
Pat Oman, director of the county's economic development and newly hired administrator for the city of Moose Lake, gave an annual report on the department's activities and standing during his tenure. The overall loan portfolio has risen from $809,688 to $2,559,055 loans invested in the county communities. Since he took over in 2006, Oman has guided the loan default rate of 31.5 percent ($300,000 in delinquent loans) to drop to 7.84 percent of loans with only four loans struggling out of 51 currently being administered.
Plans are now underway to find his replacement with an extensive search much like what was done for the new highway engineer. Oman commented, "The economic development director, as it is currently set up, must cover his own department's administrative salaries through grant sourcing. No county levy tax dollars are used for the work done in this department. This does drain from the pool that can be used to stimulate wealth creation in the county."
The Moose Horn Rod and Gun Club has requested moving a portion of their snowmobile right of way to county owned land in Sections 14 and 15 of Skelton Township just west of the Jim Newman farm. New owners of private land adjoining that stretch of snowmobile trail have dropped their permission to use the trail on their property. No objections were raised at this time.
Land Commissioner Greg Bernu requested permission for a new County timber sale set for June. Aitkin county just completed a spring timber sale and stumpage was bid up 75 percent with all parcels being sold. "The soft market for timber products," Bernu said, "appears to be ending. This high price for timber comes despite mill closings and a realignment of timber procurement for the retooled Sappi plant in Cloquet."
Oman reported that he is writing a federal grant for transportation funding for the long-needed rebuild of Highway 73 south of Cromwell. This comes from a grant pool called Tiger grants with strong support guaranteed from Congressman Rick Nolan. A steering committee has been formed from community leaders in western Carlton County which will meet shortly.
Major costs have been incurred by the county highway department due to the record wet snowfall in April. The good news is that the costs have come within annual budget guidelines and no additional funds are needed for that department.


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Curtin University researchers have shown natural radioactivity within DNA can alter chemical compounds, providing a new pathway for genetic mutation.
The research, recently published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects, for the first time looked at natural radioactivity within human DNA on the atomic-scale.
While radioactivity occurs naturally in our bodies as well as in every living organism across the planet, it was never before thought to affect our DNA in such a direct way.
Using high-performance computers, the research team from Curtin and Los Alamos National Laboratory were able to show radioactivity could alter molecular structures which encode genetic information, creating new molecules that do not belong to the four-letter alphabet of DNA.
Professor Nigel Marks from Curtin's Discipline of Physics and Astronomy and Curtin's Nanochemistry Research Institute said the new molecules may well generate mutations by confusing the replication mechanisms in DNA.
"This work takes an entirely new direction on research into natural radioactivity in biology and raises important questions about genetic mutation," Professor Marks said.
"We have discovered a subtle process that could easily be overlooked by the standard cell repair mechanisms in the body, potentially creating a new pathway for mutations to occur."
Professor Marks said the work was both exciting and unexpected, emerging as a spin-off from an Australian Research Council funded project on nuclear waste.
"As part of the project between Curtin and Los Alamos we developed a suite of computational tools to examine deliberate radioactivity in crystalline solids, only to later realise that the same methods could be applied to natural radioactivity in molecules," he said.
"This direction was an unplanned outcome of our research program just the way blue skies research should be."
The natural radioactivity in focus involved the decay of carbon atoms, Carbon-14, turning into nitrogen atoms, Nitrogen-14.
Professor Marks said this was one of the most abundant forms of radioactive decay occurring in biological systems. Over a human lifetime, around 50 billion Carbon-14 decays occur within our DNA.
"While it is still not obvious how DNA replication is affected by the presence of chemical compounds that are different to the four-letter alphabet of DNA, it is quite remarkable to consider that Carbon-14 could be a source of genetic mutation that would be impossible to avoid due to the universal presence of radiocarbon in the environment," Professor Marks said.
|Contact: Megan Meates
Curtin University


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There's many many people in BtB who think it's not okay to enslave a woman from another home-stone. I had to go on trial many times over it and they never ruled in my favor. :p
BtB goes quite a bit down the rabbithole too, but yeah in GE ... don't try to RP anything even remotely sensible. I remember getting a lecture once when I was captive in GE: "A true gorean man gently seduces a woman until she willfully submits"


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I mentioned long, long ago that we had an epidemic I wouldn't be ready to talk about for a long time. Now that a long time has passed, I'm ready.
We had head lice.
The fact that I was so embarrassed at the time just illustrates that I had fallen prey to the undeserved stigma associated with head lice. I know it's not limited to dirty people. I know anyone can catch it, regardless of personal hygiene. I even know that lice prefer clean hair, because it's harder for them to attach their eggs to oily hair. I knew all this and I was still ashamed to admit that we had head lice, because bugs crawling around in your hair are gross.
But when we received a call from a mother whose children had recently played with mine, my stomach hit the floor and I knew right away that we were in for it. One of the kids had already mentioned an itchy scalp, and I was naive enough to brush it off as, you know, an itchy scalp. Silly me. Lesson learned. These days, when I hear the words, "Mom, my head – " I'm all over that kid with 3 combs and a flashlight. If she finishes the sentence with the word "aches," that's ok. You can never be too careful.
But my friend's kids had head lice, and she called me to ask for tips on getting rid of them. And her kids had recently played with mine. And one of my kids had an itchy scalp. Now the truth was out, and the battle was on.
We had head lice once years before, and the harsh chemicals had damaged the hair of some of the girls for years afterward, so I wasn't eager to go that route. Since we caught our infestation very early this time, I tried the natural approach: I checked each child thoroughly to determine who needed treatment, and started combing. I spent hours each day combing for bugs and picking out eggs, thankful that only one or two scalps showed any signs of life at all.
We also bought individual hairbrushes and outlawed all sharing, boiling them frequently. We wore our hair up, we cleaned bedding, we vacuumed everything in the house, and did all the standard stuff – but without poisons.
After a week, I was horrified to discover that the lice had spread to one or two more scalps in our house. I stepped up the efforts and began researching other methods of control. I don't remember what else I tried, but I do remember the growing sense of desperation as one method after another failed, evidenced by the slow but steady population growth and spread of the beasties throughout the heads in our household.
Finally, I did it. I went to the drugstore, prepared to shell out $100-200 for bottles of poison that would give my children ugly hair and cancer. I didn't want to do it, but we were leaving for a vacation in a few weeks and I didn't want to risk infecting the friends and family we would be visiting. It would take multiple doses a week apart, and we had to be done with this by then, hopefully with a safety margin. We simply couldn't waste any more time.
Determined to get it right, I asked the pharmacist on duty what brand she recommended. If I had to go the chemical route, I wanted the best. I wanted the one that would really, truly, actually do the job.
Her answer shocked me.
"You can buy over-the-counter treatments for head lice and try them, but lice have become very resistant to most of those. If you really want to kill them, try this: mayonnaise and tea tree oil. Really douse the hair, wrap it tightly in plastic, and leave it on for at least 6 hours."
Really? I was waving a fistful of dollars at her and she didn't want them? I was a little disappointed and a little relieved. I was glad not to spend a lot of money on a cure I didn't trust, but also a little nervous that this new suggestion would fail us. Then who would get the blame? Me? Her? Nobody? And what would we do about our vacation?
I did it. I bought a gallon jar of mayo, several ounces of tea tree oil, and went to work. The boys had already been shaved, but every girl in the house wore a plastic-topped mess of highly scented mayo for the rest of the day. We used about 1 cup of mayo with 1 tsp of tee tree oil for each head, and covered our hair with plastic grocery bags pulled tight like shower caps. We repeated the process a week later, and for good measure we did it once more.
By the time it was over nobody smiled at being called Mayonnaise Head, and some of us still associate the scent of tea tree oil with head lice, but our hair was never so shiny and healthy. And we never saw another creepy crawly head bug again. And we all lived happily ever after. Except the head lice. They died and disappeared, never to be seen again.
The end.
PS. My friend decided to go the chemical route, and guess what? It didn't work. They followed the instructions to a tee, and after the prescribed 2 treatments, they were still finding live bugs. The cure that eventually worked for them: mayo and tea tree oil. Ba-da-BING!
image credit: Eran Finkle