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Lucie Lévesque
Getting proactive for children's health
Lucie Lévesque wants kids in Mexico to get active and achieve a healthy body weight, but her task is easier said than done.
For years, the United States held the dubious distinction of being the world's fattest nation. No more. In June 2013, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported that 32.8 percent of Mexicans over age 20 – compared to 31.8 percent of Americans – had a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. In other words, fully one-third of adult Mexicans are obese. This may not have come as a surprise to some, as the country's former president, Felipe Calderón, had revealed two years earlier that Mexico had the world's highest rate of childhood obesity.
Lévesque, a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's, says this troubling phenomenon is the result of rapid urbanization, widespread poverty and something known as the "nutrition transition." The term refers to the fact that the traditional (and healthy) Mexican diet of beans, rice and corn has largely been supplanted by cheap processed foods that are high in fat and sugar, and low in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Such dietary factors, combined with an urban population that is largely sedentary and a lack of open spaces like parks where people can exercise, help explain Mexico's obesity crisis.
The disturbing trend has enormous implications for the personal well-being of Mexicans and the country's economy and health care system. Given that researchers in Canada have been studying obesity and inactivity since these issues arose in our country 40 years ago, a collaboration was initiated to improve research capacity in the area of childhood obesity in Mexico. This is the primary goal of CAMBIO, a multidisciplinary network of academics and researchers from Queen's and the University of Guadalajara. Funded originally through a Global Health Research Initiative Grant through the International Development Research Centre, CAMBIO brings together experts from both countries who represent diverse fields, including obesity, epidemiology, nutrition, pediatrics, population and community health, sociology, health surveillance, physiology, and other areas. CAMBIO's experts focus on battling childhood obesity in Latin America's second largest country, and promoting health-related knowledge transfer among universities, non-governmental organizations and other groups.
Lévesque is one of CAMBIO's principal researchers. She specializes in physical activity and health promotion – essentially, figuring out how to get people more physically active – but her specific role in CAMBIO is to collaborate with Mexican researchers to evaluate policies and intervention programs implemented by Mexico's National Institute of Public Health (INSP) to reduce obesity and poor nutrition in kids. Her collaborators are other Mexican academics and graduate students, some of whom travel to Queen's for training that may not be available in their home country.
One of Lévesque's recent grants (from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, with co-principal researcher Dr. Simón Barquera from the INSP) took her into 20 Mexican schools to evaluate the effectiveness of the school component of the Mexican government's anti-obesity policy. She and her Mexican colleagues measured children's height and weight to determine their BMI, observed what they ate at lunch, and whether or not the kids were getting their mandated 20 minutes of daily "physical activation." The government policy recommends the phasing out of soft drinks in schools, so the researchers checked to see whether this was happening.
So far, Lévesque has gone through this process twice, and gathered field observations that will be critical to the success of the government scheme.
"These data are quite valuable for Mexico," explains Lévesque. "Now we have two time points that serve as evidence about the health of Mexican schoolchildren. If the government wants to continue to fund the program, they need to be able to see change. Our data will help them do that."
Profile by Alec Ross
(e)Affect Issue 4, Fall 2013


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Funny man Russell Brand has brushed off his four-month romance with actress Teresa Palmer as a fling he felt he had to have to stop himself from falling in love with the "Warm Bodies" star.
The Brit admits he fell hard for Palmer when they were working on 2008 Adam Sandler comedy "Bedtime Stories" and asked hypnotist pal Paul McKenna to help make him believe the Australian stunner wasn't as attractive as he thought she was.
But when that didn't work, Brand reveals he just let nature run its course.
Appearing on late-night show "Conan" on Tuesday, the comedian and actor revealed, "She was so beautiful and so radiant that when I looked at the beauty I thought, 'if I have that beauty in my life, everything else will not matter…' I thought, 'This is going to prevent me from being able to have sex with all the extras.'
"I had sex with her and a relationship with her and eventually that does get it out of your system. I hope that doesn't sound brutal but that is the nature of the chemical imperative to procreate. I'm sorry, I didn't design the male libido."


text:
Immigrant 'Stash Houses' Thrive Along Texas-Mexico Border
Some Smugglers Cram 100 or More Migrants Into a Decrepit House
SAN JUAN, Texas—Sgt. Rolando Garcia sat in a surveillance van earlier this month, staking out a white wooden house surrounded by sprawling cactus in this city of 35,000 residents near the U.S.-Mexico border.
He wasn't looking for signs of drugs or weapons, but for evidence that it was a stash house packed with illegal immigrants, the hottest illicit commodity for smugglers on the Texas border.


text:
South American Mystery Novels and Stuff blog I was hesitant, as Bulgaria, the country featured in my new novel, is not located in South America. However, like many of the books listed here, the story of Valley of Thracians takes place in an exotic location, quite off the beaten track for Western tourists.
For those who aren't ready to board a Bulgarian Air flight to Sofia, I can offer something else, a chance to learn about the wonders of Bulgaria through the pages of my novel.
Valley of Thracians is a suspense novel. There is a missing Peace Corps volunteer and buried treasure. However, I would classify it as "travel fiction", in that the location, Bulgaria, plays as important a role in the story as the main characters.
My wife and I lived and worked in Sofia for two years. During that time, we traveled extensively around Bulgaria, learning the country's history and culture, climbing its mountains, sunbathing on its beaches, shopping in its stores, visiting its villages, eating its traditional food, and learning a bit of Bulgarian along the way. Okay, we didn't learn that much Bulgarian. We made many friends and in short, fell in love with the country.
Upon our return to our permanent home in Israel, I found it hard to tear myself away from the feeling of living in Bulgaria. To solve this aching, I turned to my writing. I had previously published a collection of short stories, The Virtual Kibbutz, which was very Israeli in subject matter. Now I decided to try something totally different - a novel about another country.
I believe I have succeeded in telling a bit about Bulgaria and I hope that readers will appreciate the chance to learn about this unique place while they take a suspenseful journey by reading my book.
This post originally appeared on the South American Mystery Novels and Stuff blog.


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The Cleveland Cavaliers chose former Virginia star Joe Harris with the 33rd pick of the NBA draft -- the third selection of the second round -- Thursday night.
Harris, who led U.Va.'s Cavaliers to the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season crown and their first ACC tournament title since 1976, joins No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins -- a Canadian who starred for Kansas -- as Cleveland's draft choices.
Harris will join a team that, based on its current roster, has many ACC connections: Kyrie Irving and Luol Deng from Duke, Tyler Zeller from North Carolina and...


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On a day rich in history and meaning, the significance of James McCarthy's inauguration as Suffolk University's ninth president was not lost on our students.
The cake, ice cream and surprise Michael Jackson dance medley didn't hurt, either.
"It's electric," said freshman advertising major Andrew King. "Campus is on fire today. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Students were everywhere during the day of festivities—guiding guests into historic Faneuil Hall, attending the morning ceremony, entertaining the crowd of distinguished guests, and serving as guests of honor themselves at the student reception.
Presidential inaugurations don't happen every day, and students in attendance recognized that they were enjoying a rare opportunity.
"It's really cool that we get to see an inauguration," said Gabriella Abbondanza, a junior English major minoring in middle school education and a Trustee Ambassador. "How long is it going to be until another one happens?"
Long before the dignitaries arrived in the historic Great Hall, members of Suffolk's gospel choir Voices of Zion warmed up their vocal cords in preparation for singing the National Anthem at the ceremony—their first time singing the anthem, and their first time being in one of Boston's most hallowed spaces.
"To be able to sing here is amazing," said Sabrina Bazile, a junior majoring in global business and marketing and president of the choir. "We're excited to represent Voices of Zion and Suffolk University." During the ceremony, Suffolk's a cappella group, the Ramifications, performed a stirring version of Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten."
True to his school, junior entrepreneurship major Chris Maynard said that the ceremony presented a great networking opportunity—he got to chat with a couple members of the law school faculty he said he may not have encountered otherwise.
Stephanie Todt, a senior majoring in marketing and minoring in communication, echoed that sentiment. "It's awesome that everyone at Suffolk came together."
The approachable president
As students buzzed about the event, they remarked on how one of the hallmarks of McCarthy's presidency so far has been his accessibility.
"He makes himself very well known and shows his appreciation, even if it's only stopping to talk for ten minutes," said Abbondanza, citing his town halls and "Pizza with the President" events.
"'Pizza with the President,' come on," Maynard said admiringly. "It's a fun name."
Others noted his attendance at basketball games and student performances.
"Within his first two weeks, he met with students in the SGA. There's a lot to be said with just that one action," said Martha Alvarado, a senior majoring in public relations and government, trustee ambassador and SGA treasurer. "His excitement to work with students and get their feedback and take them into account—that makes me, as a student to be alum, very proud."
"He has a very approachable nature," said sophomore Matt Eriksen, an advertising major and family orientation scholar. "He's a great embodiment of what Suffolk stands for."
An exciting journey
The inauguration was just the latest milestone in Suffolk's ongoing transformation, as the words emblazoned on the event program—"A Shared Vision, A Journey Ahead"—reflected. Students shared in the optimism.
"In the next couple years, Suffolk's just going to explode and be the new face of Boston," said Dan Newell, a senior majoring in political science and history and a resident assistant at Miller Hall. "There's so much potential, and President McCarthy is just tapping into it right now."
"I'm excited for what the future holds for Suffolk," said Alvarado, "I've seen a lot of change in my four years, within the university and in how the university is perceived from the outside."
"I definitely see, from when I toured to now, there's a shift in how people act on campus," said Eriksen. "The overall atmosphere of Suffolk has changed."
"[Suffolk is] headed in the right direction," said senior Lina Rodriguez, a sociology and government dual major and member of the Student Government Association . "[McCarthy] is bringing about a lot of good change."
Todt, who is attending Suffolk on a full-tuition scholarship,said she appreciated McCarthy's call in his inaugural address for alumni to help support the university.
Suffolk alumna Michelle Medeiros, who graduated in 2012 and is now pursuing her MST in taxation at Sawyer Business School, heard that call.
"I want to be able to give back to the university," she said. "I want students after me to have the opportunities I had."
Get this party started
The day's events capped off with a student reception in the lobby of the Rosalie Stahl Center, featuring a "champagne" fountain (sparkling apple cider, actually), ice cream sundae bar, cake and cookies. A live band performed on the second-floor balcony, and students snagged free long-sleeved T-shirts bearing McCarthy's name and the number nine—for our ninth president.
"This afternoon is just to be here and celebrate with you and thank you for everything you do to make Suffolk the great place it is," McCarthy told the throng of students. "I'm thrilled to be a part of this great place."
McCarthy joked that the lobby reception was a "momentous occasion" because he got to ascend the typically roped-off staircase. He also speculated on whether or not he could refer to his presidential medallion as "bling," drawing chuckles from the crowd.
As McCarthy concluded his remarks, the sounds of the Jackson 5 filled the lobby, and members of the student dance troupe Wicked began strutting their stuff down the staircase.
Finally, the long-rumored reception surprise had its big reveal—a surprise dance performance set to a Michael Jackson medley. Songs included "ABC," "I Want You Back," "Rock With You," "P.Y.T.," "Beat It," "Thriller," "Smooth Criminal," "Remember the Time," and "Bad." The crowd, buzzing with sugar and optimism, clapped and grooved along to the beat.
But as the festivities wound down, a lyric from Bedingfield's "Unwritten" seemed to capture the prevailing sentiment of the day.
"Today is where your book begins," the song goes. "The rest is still unwritten."


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The Global Social Network
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Haq's Musings
Riaz Haq's Current Affairs Blog
When Gmail completes your sentences or Netflix offers you recommendations for movies to watch, do you wonder where it all came from? Do you know how airplanes fly or autonomous vehicles drive on auto-pilot? What algorithms are used to make it happen? Who made these possible? Where did the word "algorithm" come from? Have you heard of Mohammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi?
The word algorithm comes from Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, the name of a Muslim…
Posted by Riaz Haq on July 15, 2019 at 9:00pm
How much have US-Pakistan ties improved since President Trump's "lies and deceit" tweet on Pakistan? Has Trump completely abandoned the tough Pakistan policy recommended by the 2017 Husain Haqqani-Lisa Curtis paper? What do the US actions such as backing Pakistan's IMF bailout and BLA terror…
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460 New cars in Miami FL , serving West Kendall
Looking for a used car inventory in Miami, FL, serving Hialeah, Homestead & Coral Gables, that features virtually all makes and models? Check out the selection at West Kendall Toyota! We have an easy online system that makes finding the perfect used vehicle a breeze. Search our inventory of Certified Pre-Owned Toyotas and other used vehicles, and make sure you check out our used car specials and used cars under $12,000. Give us a call at 786-574-2429 if you have any questions during the process.
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Sec. 1124A. [42 U.S.C. 1320a–3a] (a) Disclosure Required to Receive Payment.—No payment may be made under part B of title XVIII for items or services furnished by any disclosing part B provider unless such provider has provided the Secretary with full and complete information—
(1) on the identity of each person with an ownership or control interest in the provider or in any subcontractor (as defined by the Secretary in regulations) in which the provider directly or indirectly has a 5 percent or more ownership interest;
(2) with respect to any person identified under paragraph (1) or any managing employee of the provider—
(A) on the identity of any other entities providing items or services for which payment may be made under title XVIII with respect to which such person or managing employee is a person with an ownership or control interest at the time such information is supplied or at any time during the 3-year period ending on the date such information is supplied, and
(B) as to whether any penalties, assessments, or exclusions have been assessed against such person or managing employee under section 1128, 1128A, or 1128B; and
(3) including the employer identification number (assigned pursuant to section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986[46]) and social security account number (assigned under section 205(c)(2)(B)) of the disclosing part B provider and any person, managing employee, or other entity identified or described under paragraph (1) or (2).
(b) Updates to Information Supplied.—A disclosing part B provider shall notify the Secretary of any changes or updates to the information supplied under subsection (a) not later than 180 days after such changes or updates take effect.
(c) Verification.—
(1) Transmittal by hhs.—The Secretary shall transmit—
(A) to the Commissioner of Social Security information concerning each social security account number (assigned under section 205(c)(2)(B)), and
(B) to the Secretary of the Treasury information concerning each employer identification number (assigned pursuant to section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986),
supplied to the Secretary pursuant to subsection (a)(3) or section 1124(c) to the extent necessary for verification of such information in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) Verification.—The Commissioner of Social Security and the Secretary of the Treasury shall verify the accuracy of, or correct, the information supplied by the Secretary to such official pursuant to paragraph (1), and shall report such verifications or corrections to the Secretary.
(3) Fees for verification.—The Secretary shall reimburse the Commissioner and Secretary of the Treasury, at a rate negotiated between the Secretary and such official, for the costs incurred by such official in performing the verification and correction services described in this subsection.
(d) Definitions.—for purposes of this section—
(1) the term "disclosing part B provider" means any entity receiving payment on an assignment-related basis (or, for purposes of subsection (a)(3), any entity receiving payment) for furnishing items or services for which payment may be made under part B of title XVIII, except that such term does not include an entity described in section 1124(a)(2);
(2) the term "managing employee" means, with respect to a provider, a person described in section 1126(b); and
(3) the term "person with an ownership or control interest" means, with respect to a provider—
(A) a person described in section 1124(a)(3), or
(B) a person who has one of the 5 largest direct or indirect ownership or control interests in the provider.
[46] See Vol. II, P.L. 83-591, §6109.


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GUEST OPINION - in the Nov. 13, 2007, Tomahawk Leader:
By Scott Henker
Senior Resource Manager of Plum Creek
Thousands of Wisconsin residents will soon take part of a long-standing tradition, one that involves family, friends, camaraderie and the state's beautiful forests and wildlife. Of course, our forests play host to a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, but many consider Wisconsin's gun deer hunting season a state holiday of sorts – marked by blaze orange and hunting camps.
As the deer hunting season approaches, Plum Creek encourages everyone to be respectful of the land and others, and to stay safe while enjoying the beauty and sport of the season.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, more than 600,000 hunters participate annually in Wisconsin's nine-day gun deer season. With that in mind, Plum Creek is proud to provide free public access to approximately 98 percent of our forestland. We extend an invitation to hunters to enjoy our lands this hunting season, and to do so respectfully.
Specifically, we ask hunters not to leave trash in the woods, put marks on the trees, put up permanent tree stands or camp overnight. Additionally, some of our lands' roadways may be gated off to protect our roads and environmentally sensitive areas from motorized traffic. If that is the case, we ask hunters to abide by those rules and only walk onto that property – as protecting our forests and the sensitive areas makes better wildlife habitat and, in turn, better lands for hunting.
Of course, it is also important to remember that Wisconsin's forests provide more than an arena for deer hunting. From logging and paper mills to specialty wood products, tourism and raw materials, our forests add great value to our state. At Plum Creek, we are proud of our role in maintaining Wisconsin's outdoor treasures, and ask that hunters help in our efforts and follow rules, obey signs and respect the land so that future generations can also enjoy all that our forests have to offer.
As the state's largest private landowner, we have thousands of acres of land open to the public for recreation and hunting. Please feel free to stop by or contact our offices in Hayward or Tomahawk with any questions. Such efforts to plan ahead and know which land is open for hunting access are important steps to take prior to the hunting season.
And as a reminder, we ask that hunters be careful and take the appropriate safety precautions while participating in this year's deer hunting season. According to the DNR, a majority of hunting accidents can be traced back to a violation of one or more of the following rules:
•Treat every firearm as if it is loaded and never assume a gun is unloaded.
•Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
•Be certain of your target and what is beyond it.
•Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.
On behalf of Plum Creek and its employees, we wish hunters a safe and successful hunting season. We hope that they enjoy Wisconsin's long-standing tradition and are able to appreciate the forests that make it possible.
Hunting Season – Respect the Woods
We encourage you to respond to our opinions. We will try to make an editorial or column available for discussion each week.
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Re: Hunting Season – Respect the Woods
i find that quite enjoyable that you used those rules when handling a weapon. coincidence has it that EVERY Marine has been taught very very similar rules when handling our weapons since day 1 of boot camp.
1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded
2. keep the weapon on safe until you are ready to fire
3.keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire
4. never point the weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
we used to have to scream those rules before hitting the rack every night. *sigh* memories...
1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded
2. keep the weapon on safe until you are ready to fire
3.keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire
4. never point the weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
we used to have to scream those rules before hitting the rack every night. *sigh* memories...
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EUROGRAPHICS-1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle. Amazing graphics and images make these puzzles true works-of-art. With pictures ranging from classical artwork and nature scenes to more contemporary and casual designs there is sure to be a puzzle for everyone! This package contains one puzzle with 1000 pieces. Available in a variety of designs: each sold separately. Finished dimensions: 26-5/8×19-1/4 inches. WARNING-CHOKING HAZARD-Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. Non-toxic. Made in USA.
Brand New Item


text:
Last September when Apple ditched its Google Maps iPhone app and replaced it with its amazingly inept home-built Maps app, the move was so roundly denounced as a step backward and a weakening of the iPhone environment that chief executive Tim Cook had to release a public apology. No one could wait for Google to release its own Google Maps app to replace the Apple-built one Apple had cast aside.
Now that Google has done so, the general reaction is that, as The New York Times put it, "The return of a Google-powered maps application to the iPhone may make it easier for Apple's customers to find their way. But it will not relieve Apple of the pressure to bring its own maps service up to snuff."
However, Apple may have in fact just gotten all it ever really wanted or needed. At least that's the thinking of Matt Yglesias at Slate. He writes that "I haven't had time to play around with it properly, but I hope people will understand that if it's as good as it sounds that's really a vindication of Apple's business strategy in launching its own Maps product."
He points out that the problem with the old iPhone Google maps
wasn't that it wasn't as good as the new Maps. The problem is that it was distinctly inferior to Google Maps for Android. And that wasn't a coincidence. Google is happy to make apps and provide online services for iOS users, but they'd rather have everyone use Android for their mobile purpose .. . .
But while Google wants to promote Android, Google also doesn't want to lose the vast customer base that is iPhone and iPad map users. So they've responded by writing a Google Maps program that's much better than the old Google Maps—one that feature vector graphics and spoken directions and Google's superior mapping data.
In other words, Apple had been stuck with a second-rate Google Maps app while Android had a far better one.
Apple couldn't possibly build its own app anywhere near as good without taking years to do so. But it could put out an inferior one, and that inferior one could pressure Google into giving iPhone users all the bells and whistles Android users always had.
So now Android loses one of its few marked advantages over iPhone. Score one, a big one, for Apple.
Article: Forbes 17.12.12


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Report of Progress in Solving Idaho's Farm Problems: Forty-eighth Annual Report for the Year Ending December 31, 1940, Volumes 238-255
University of Idaho, Agricultural Experiment Station, 1941 - Agricultural experiment stations - 78 pages
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James Boyer, MD, FACEP
Ensign Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases); Emeritus Director, Yale Liver Center
Departments & Organizations
Internal Medicine: Diabetes Research Center | Digestive Diseases: Autoimmune and Cholestatic Liver Disease Program; Hepatology | Gastrointestinal Procedure Center | Liver Center
Yale Medicine
Office of Cooperative Research
Dr. James L. Boyer is the Ensign Professor of Medicine and Emeritus Director of the Liver Center at Yale School of Medicine. He is a graduate of Haverford College (1958) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1962). From 1982 until 1996 he directed a combined Digestive Disease Section in the Department of Medicine. He was the founding Director of the NIDDK funded Liver Center at Yale since 1984. and former Director of the NIEHS Center for Membrane Toxicity Studies at the Mt Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salsbury Cove, ME where he was also Chairman of their Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2011-2013. He is also past Chair, Board of Directors of the American Liver Foundation and a current member of Board of Mangers of Haverford College. Dr. Boyer has a broad interest in all aspects of basic and clinical hepatology. His laboratory's major efforts have been the study of mechanisms of bile formation and cholestasis , currently supported by a MERIT award from NIDDK. He is a member of the AASLD, ASCI, AAP,APS and ACCA and past president of both the American and the International Association for the Study of Liver Disease. He is the recipient of Distinguished Achievement Awards from the AGA, AASLD and American Liver Foundation.
Education & Training
|Johns Hopkins University (1962)
|Haverford College, Biology (1958)
|Yale University School of Medicine
|Yale - New Haven Hospital
|New York Hospital
|Board Certification
|AB of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine (1969)
Honors & Recognition
Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars -2016Johns Hopkins University (2016)
Spinoza ProfesesorshipUniversity of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2009)
NIH MERIT AwardNational Institutes of Health (2008)
Distinguished Scientific Achievement AwardAmerican Liver foundation (1999)
Distinguished Achievement AwardAmerican Association for the Study of the Liver (1998)
Ismar-Boas MedalGerman Society of Gastroenterology and Metabolism (1996)
Ensign ProfessorshipYale University (1996)
Distinguished Achievement AwardAmerican Gastroenterology Association (1989)
Adolf-Windaus Prize Falk Foundation (1988)
Professional Service
Haverford College (2009 - Present) Board Member
Mt Desert Island Biological Laboratory (1995 - 2013) Board Member
American Liver Foundation (1976 - Present) voluntary health agency
Yale University School of Medicine Committee Member
Bile formation Austria; Switzerland; Germany; Italy; Netherlands; Thailand (2008)
Dr. Boyer collaborates with numerous researchers on projects related to the cellular and molecular mechanisms of bile formation and mechanisms of liver injury that lead to impairment of this important physiologic process. He has been engaged in this NIH funded work for the past 30 years.


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Jonathan Weil, a Bloomberg columnist, understands the multiple-dangers (to the financial system, to the rule of law, and to creating an elite bubble of impunity) that is posed by Eric Holder's -- as attorney general for President Obama -- granting a right to commit corporate and financial crimes card.
In what has become a multi-year unprosecuted crime spree by banks too big to fail, Weil recently reported on one of the most bollixing failure of the DOJ to prosecute an almost certainly culpable bank – and undetermined senior staffers. What makes it so flummoxing is the transparent statement of the US prosecutor in charge of the case, who comes off sounding like a state investigator in China or some other dictatorship.
Here's the background to the case, as Weil reported it on Bloomberg.com:
Dennis Lerner, a former tax director at Commerzbank AG (CBK) in New York, isn't too big to jail. But the bank he once worked for may well be, along with the other executives there who made his crimes possible.
Lerner, 60, pleaded guilty this week to public-corruption charges. Commerzbank hired him from the Internal Revenue Service in 2011 while he was an examiner responsible for negotiating a tax-fraud settlement with the bank, according to the criminal complaint that prosecutors filed in September. Commerzbank paid the IRS $210 million one day before offering Lerner the job, which he accepted immediately. The figure was 62 percent of the potential taxes due. Bank employees later told federal investigators it had been willing to pay much more money to settle the audit.
"We will not tolerate corrupt government employees and will prosecute and punish them to the full extent of the law," Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a March 12 news release. Notably, Bharara said nothing about prosecuting the people and companies that participate in corrupting them.
Why hasn't the Justice Department charged Commerzbank or anyone else who worked there? That is a mystery, but perhaps only partly. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder last week told the Senate Judiciary Committee, in essence, that some financial institutions are indeed too big to prosecute, because of the damage to the U.S. and world economy that might ensue.
So Big
Commerzbank is certainly big. The company had 636 billion euros ($839 billion) of assets on its Dec. 31 balance sheet, making it Germany's second-largest bank.
BuzzFlash at Truthout believes that the statement by the DOJ US attorney prosecuting the former IRS agent merits repetition: "'We will not tolerate corrupt government employees and will prosecute and punish them to the full extent of the law,'" Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a March 12 news release." (Italics inserted by BuzzFlash at Truthout.)
Weil states the obvious to those concerned about a nation that is free of government corruption, prosecutes the guilty, and has people in charge of financial institutions who value a healthy and honest economy: "If we are going to place some banks above the law for the sake of financial stability, we also must recognize the threat this poses to our democracy. For starters, the banks can buy off government officials and get away with it."
Shall we say this is the 15th or 16th commentary we have written on this topic, the last one being, "Eric Holder Enables Dishonesty, Fraud and Likely Criminal Activity on Wall Street." We've stopped counting. We did note in the "Eric Holder Enables Dishonesty" column:
Think about the implications of Holder's statement and the DOJ and Obama administration's tacit decision not to pursue cases against individuals in too big to fail financial institutions. Think about the standard it sets when as a matter of policy, individuals can get away with crimes of incalculable impact upon so many lives -- and to the welfare of the United States. In essence, the executives who run these behemoth financial enterprises are too powerful to be subject to the laws of the United States of America regarding financial transactions – and now their crimes are committed with global impact.
Yet, we throw kids into jail for selling reefer.
Moreover, there is a supposition to be followed through that many of these banks too big to fail -- for instance ones that knowingly laundry money for the narco cartels and trade with the "enemy" as defined by Congressional legislation -- are in essence de facto criminal enterprises themselves by their very actions that the US DOJ ignores except for fines it or the SEC levies. These fines, although seemingly large, are just like the cost of drug entrepreneurs paying off government and law enforcement officials to look the other way as the cocaine and heroin enter into the blood stream of America. They do not stop the banks one iota in functioning in the illegal and dishonest manner in which they make a significant portion of their profit.
So Holder and the White House are doing more than allowing illegal financial behavior to continue; they are also continuing to tacitly (whatever settlements they claim to reach) allow the financial world to profit from the narco market, to conduct financial transactions with "enemies," including, in some cases, illegal financial transactions that ultimately assist groups like Al Qaeda. That is not to mention other criminal by-products of the DOJ "see no criminal illegality" stance toward big banks. In the case of Commerz Bank, the DOJ is sending out a clear signal that it is okay for a large bank to try and bribe a government official. Why? Because only the government official might be prosecuted, not the bank.
The executives of the banks authorizing such a scheme, committing such a crime, get off free, even though these are the types of scenarios – in other areas of the law – that sting operations are set up by government officials to lure the private sector into breaking. This is then followed by prosecution. But not so for the golfing partners of President Obama, and the former clients (and probably future clients) of Eric Holder and his Covington and Burling crew at the Department of Justice.
Let's ask a simple question here. Did Dennis Lerner, former IRS bank examiner who illegally lowered the tax liability of Commerz bank by nearly 40% do it on his own? Was it some sort of masturbatory scheme to enrich a bank headquartered in Germany, in which he was being "philanthropic" toward Commerz without any inducement from the bank?
What's astonishing is that this quid pro quo, lowering of the bank's tax payment by around a $100 million dollars occurred one day before he was hired by Commerz with lord knows how many perks and no doubt an extremely cushy salary. No doubt he quickly became Commerz's in-house excerpt on how to avoid paying taxes.
We ran a commentary, "Holder Admits That Department of Justice Believes Big Bankers Are Above the Law."
Even then, we didn't realize the ever-burgeoning extent of rampant DOJ corruption toward the non-prosecution of big banks and their executives.
Holder may privately claim that the decision was made not to pursue criminal charges against Commerz or its executives because the German government owns 25% of Commerzbank.
If so, were that the case, it's an international cancer on our financial system that Holder is allowing to metastasize.
(Photo: Wikipedia)


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Despite market warnings that the Eurozone crisis and financial legislation such as Basel III has dampened banks' enthusiasm for long-term lending to immature sectors such as offshore, the Belgian project secured EUR653 million in 17-year debt in June as part of a project-finance package worth EUR907 million.
Jerome Guillet, managing director of Green Giraffe Energy Bankers, financial adviser to the project's developer - a joint venture between Belgian firms Colruyt and Aspiravi - said the deal shows that long-term finance for offshore wind is still possible. "It's a reminder that money is there and people that want project finance can find it on terms they find acceptable," he said.
Guillet believes that Northwind's success is largely through many of the individuals working on the project having worked on previous major offshore wind farms.
Additionally, banks were comfortable because the processes used were similar to those on earlier deals, Guillet said, and Belgium has a good regulatory framework, which he described as simple and understood by the market.
Construction of Northwind is set to start early in 2013. It will comprise 72 Vestas V112-3MW turbines, erected in the North Sea 37 kilometres from Oostende.


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Beaverton, Or — Several fitness equipment manufacturers as well as 24 Hour Fitness and Virgin Active Health Clubs are working with Nike Inc. and Apple Inc. to make Apple's iPod Nano compatible with cardio equipment, Nike and Apple recently announced. The technology is expected to be in more than 500 gyms worldwide this summer.
Manufacturers Life Fitness, Precor, Star Trac and Technogym are working with the companies to allow users to plug their iPod Nano into their treadmills, ellipticals and bikes directly, allowing them to track workouts and set goals. Users could then upload the information through iTunes to Nike's Web site, www.nikeplus.com, which would convert the workout data to CardioMiles. CardioMiles helps users set goals and participate in challenges with other runners and cardio equipment users. Nano users will also be able to buy specialty songs for their workouts.
"By delivering the Nike + iPod experience through our equipment, we're giving exercisers new and exciting tools to maximize their workouts," says Bob Quast, vice president of product management for Life Fitness. "This groundbreaking tool is taking the exercise equipment experience beyond the fitness facility."
More than a year ago, Nike and Apple formed a partnership to create Nike+ technology in which the wireless system allows some Nike running shoes embedded with a sensor to communicate with Nanos. Apple and Nike both say shifting their attention to health clubs was the next natural step, and both companies say there are plans to grow in the future.


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The 2011 Survey of Online Learning reveals that the number of students nationwide taking at least one online course in the fall 2010 term surpassed 6 million. Nearly one-third of all students in higher education are taking at least one online course.
The latest Bay Area development is free online classes offered by University Now, a San Francisco-based company, subsidized by employers in Oakland, San Francisco and Sacramento.
Key report findings include:
More than 6.1 million students were taking at least one online course during the fall 2010 term, an increase of 560,000 students over the previous year.
The 10 percent growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 2 percent growth in the overall higher education student population.
Thirty-one percent of higher education students now take at least one course online.
Reported year-to-year enrollment changes for fully online programs by discipline show most are growing.
Academic leaders believe that the level of student satisfaction is equivalent for online and face-to-face courses.
Sixty-five percent of higher education institutions say that online learning is a critical part of their long-term strategy.
A consistent minority of academic leaders continues to be concerned that the quality of online instruction is not equal to courses delivered face-to-face.
The full report is available at www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/highered.html.
Source: The 2011 Survey of Online Learning, Babson Survey Research Group


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Playoffs R1G3: Pop(pa) Said Knock You Out
Let's forget everything that happened in this game, including the part about how the ball below is basically a representation of the Jazz's season at this point in time. Instead, let's revel in this play, and our future, which is spelled F-A-V-O-R-S.
Is anyone else really turned on right now?
Tyrone Corbin's Game 4 To-Do List (from his post-game)
** We gotta learn our lessons from it. You gotta learn from what they do.
** We gotta keep fighting. We gotta keep fighting.
** We have to put guys in situations, do different things to give us a chance to win.
** We gotta keep fighting. We gotta learn. We gotta keep trying to tweak things to give ourselves a chance to win.
** We just have to keep trying to force our will on them.
** We gotta find a way to get inside.
** We gotta make free throws….we just have to make them…we gotta make the shots.
** We have to learn from them. We have to learn how we have to be more intense…we just have to continue to work at it.
(My sister, the Spurs fan, notes that the last game Stock attended was a Spurs game as well. She hypothesizes that he really just wants to watch the Spurs.)
Unintentional Dirty Quote Machines of the Night (UDQM)
** Boler on Al: Wants to find that rhythm early as he backs in on Duncan.
** Harpring on Favors: He is growing in front of our eyes!
** Mike Fratello on Manu Ginobili: He's gotta stop worrying about getting himself off and keep the ball moving. (H/T @shandonfan)
** Big Al on the Spurs, post-game: They do a good job of just sitting in my lap and acting like they coming.
** Tyrone Corbin on the Spurs, post-game: We wanna get inside, and they want to keep us from getting inside. So we'll try to change some things, see if we can come at it from a different angle.
** Jim Burton:
modernagejazz permalinkMay 7, 2012 1:13 am
Question: did the Jazz acknowledge Sloan and Layden? I know Stockton was shown to the crowd and got huge cheers. Tell me they showed Sloan and Layden as well, please.
P.S.: Damn International League Pass Broadband, I wish I could watch Matt and Boler instead of those TNT bozos.
JenBabs permalinkMay 7, 2012 9:12 am
I am! Favors, silver lining!
SurlyMae permalinkMay 7, 2012 11:12 pm
Yes, yes I am turned on. How did you know?


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keeponkeepingon posted 3/22/2013 12:02 PM
Wanted to share what I found recently.
The 10 Commandments for Atheists
1. Resilience-Keep going even when things look dark.
2. Empathy-Connecting to suffering or experiences of another person.
3. Patience-Grow calmer by being realistic about how things actually tend to go.
4. Sacrifice-How can you love someone, raise a family, or service the planet if we don't sacrifice?
5. Politeness-Linked to tolerance. WE must live along people that we will not agree with.
6. Humor
7. Self-Awareness-Having a sense of what's going on inside onself, not blame others for moods or troubles.
8. Forgiveness-Errors must be excused so we can live with others.
9. Hope-Pessimism isn't necessarily deep, nor optimism shallow.
10. Confidence-It isn't arrogance. It's based on awareness of how short life is and how little we ultimately lose from ridking everything.
doodley posted 3/26/2013 18:00 PM
That list is fantastic, keeponkeepingon. Thank you for posting it.
catlover50 posted 3/30/2013 19:54 PM
Great list.
Also wanted to comment on atheists not having morals. I consider atheist morality to be the truest kind, since we are expecting no reward or punishment.
I have thought long and hard about right and wrong and feel that I have a strong moral code. Not just avoiding hurting others but actually trying to contribute to their happiness. If only my fWH had done the same. ( he's not an atheist)
Neithan posted 3/30/2013 21:30 PM
I have thought long and hard about right and wrong and feel that I have a strong moral code. Not just avoiding hurting others but actually trying to contribute to their happiness. If only my fWH had done the same. (he's not an atheist)
Ditto for me.
My WW is quite active in church, heavily involved in leadership roles, both before and after her affair. Her affair partner was a minister from another denomination, and one of the things that she liked about him was that he was more spiritual than I was.
She even wrote to a gal pal of hers that she would consider leaving me for him (not that he offered to leave his own wife for her, he only took what my WW offered of her body.)
Have you seen that bumper sticker? "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven."
Not by me...
catlover50 posted 3/31/2013 18:40 PM
Ooh Neithan, that is tough.
And the irony was lost on your WW?
For me, there is no higher power ready to forgive me of my sins. I try hard to minimize sinning in the first place and try not to rationalize when I do. It's a journey.
Neithan posted 4/1/2013 17:30 PM
And the irony was lost on your WW?
Well, not completely. Maybe. She's either so paralyzed by shame that she can't talk about any of it anymore or it really hasn't affected her all that deeply.
But compounding the whole thing is the fact that WW is a Unitarian (and I'm not averse to going to said services when convenient, and communing with my fellow Unitarian agnostic humanists) and her AP is a fundamentalist-type christian evangelical minister.
Ashland13 posted 4/1/2013 19:05 PM
I grew up Episcopalian with a mother employed to run the Sunday school. My father is to this day very controlling and we did not miss a Sunday or holiday, even if we chanced a snore at Christmas Eve service.
I also worked a season at a Christian camp and I work as a church musician.
It's the strangest thing, because after my H's affair, I find myself questioning a world with a "God above" who would give us a world where such things happen.
I believe some things, like those ideas that God doesn't tell people what to do or not do and so on, good or evil. And I hear all the stuff people say about making sure we don't blame God when something bad happens to us or someone we are close to.
So many do's and don't's about God, it's hard to know at all.
I do know that ever since my husband's affair, as I started to say, I believed a tiny bit. In some of the concepts, that is, but about an actual being of some type, I'm not sure anymore.
And yet I sit and hear sermons and play hymns many Sundays of the year.
I think if religion and God were something we could actually see or feel with a hand or foot...and if as kids we were not forced to go...maybe it would be diffeernt as adults when we could make up our own minds?
I will say that I am sad there are those religions that make going to church something to do because a person did a bad thing. I know people who go for the music or friends they made there -my daughter goes for the snacks, lol-some people just go to pray and be in the building for a short time.
I have heard peope tell me that they take different things from religious messages, also and that helped me.
Thanks for this thread. It's a really confusing subject.
My H is atheist and I've been studying what it is about. It's really an interesting concept, I think and I don't think its necessarily a terrible thing to be. I think its okay to believe, too.
StillGoing posted 4/1/2013 19:28 PM
My H is atheist and I've been studying what it is about. It's really an interesting concept, I think and I don't think its necessarily a terrible thing to be. I think its okay to believe, too.
Hm. Calling yourself an atheist doesn't really mean much other than to come out. Otherwise it's like walking up to someone and saying "I am a theist." It solidifies certain basic assumptions - whether or not you believe in supernatural causes - but, beyond that, things like ethics and morality are entirely different subjects.
Someone can say "I believe in god" and abuse that without really thinking deeply on what it means, and someone can say "I don't believe in anything" and abuse it the same way; there are so many different religious moralities I think the message of "I am an atheist" gets equated with that of the amoral, because when you say to someone "I believe in god" they generally assume the same god they do. Yet, a Shiite Muslim will have an entirely different perspective on morality from an Orthodox Catholic from a Calvanist Protestant. Further, each of those people will have their own individual perspectives - and struggles - regarding the faith they have been raised in or chosen.
It's not different with atheists, though I think more atheists choose their perspectives of morality than are raised as such. There are humanists, Buddhists, those guys in Nippon I can never remember, Skeptics, Stoics and all sorts of philosophical ethics that can coexist with but do not require a religious belief. Each of those in turn is just as varied (and argumentative) as their religious counterparts, and each of them is just as distant from the word "Atheist" as a Christian is from the word "Theist."
It's easy to understand atheism - it just means a lack of belief in the supernatural, or spiritual if you prefer. What the morality of a particular atheist is will be just as deep, or shallow, as a particular theist.
I haven't read all of your story Ashland, but your H sounds like the kind of man who holds up atheism as an aegis against his own wicked little works. It's like someone finding god and feeling that they get to abdicate responsibility for all the horrible shit they've done just because they say sorry. For most people it doesn't work like that. The same goes with the various world views associated with atheism. You can't be a humanist and just fuck over anyone for a personal gain. It's a hypocrisy as much as violating certain suggestions about adultery this one guy supposedly brought down off a mountain.
A lot of people question their faith in times of crisis, a lot of people come to faith in times of crisis. I think real gains and losses tend to stick from quiet contemplation instead of trauma, though.
Sorry for rambling.
Hurt for 33 posted 4/12/2013 20:23 PM
I am beginning to wonder why I think I need to stay. The kids are grown. I did think that marriage was for life, but is there someone out there better for me? Someone who was not mentally and sexually abused by their parents. Someone who could love me, and not have to struggle to love me. I used to believe in a god but not for a long time now. After D-day I found out that my daughter and my granddaughter had been molested, thankfully by no one in the family this time. If god wants to be called Abba father he needs to be at least as good as my dad was. My dad would have never let this happen to my kid or grandkid if he could have helped it, yet Abba did nothing! I agree with a lot that is said on this thread, and wonder if I am posting in the right place. WS was for 15 years Southern Baptist Pastor, met OP while her H was in school with mine.
I don't believe that believing makes it so. I don't see any evidence of a god, so there must not be one.
catlover50 posted 4/13/2013 06:07 AM
For me there is way more evidence for the lack of a loving God. Fortunately I have developed my own supports, because I feel we are on our own.
I hope you have the support you need at this time.
SisterMilkshake posted 4/20/2013 10:33 AM
I have always thought of myself as a Christian. I was raised by a devoutly Catholic family. 10 years of Catholic school. A defining moment for me was in 8th grade. Now, mind you, I was a quiet shy girl, however, I have always been interested in debate. I have had strong points of view since I was a young child.
Anyway, once again, after the obligatory catechism lesson we had every day at school, I had some questions for Sister Julia. For every answer she gave me, it made me ask another question (because the answer never made sense) and she finally threw up her arms and said "Faith, Margaret Mary, faith!" I knew right then that could never be the answer for me. I need answers that make sense.
When I was 16 my Dad insisted the whole family go to "confession". This was in the old days when you went into a creepy box and talked to the priest. I told my Dad I didn't want to go. He forced me to go. Dear Dad was in the confession line behind me. I go in and say the ritual prayer and then I said nothing. Priest asked me about my "sins". I said, I am only here because my father forced me to come. I really don't understand why I have to confess my sins to a priest, why can't I talk directly to God, confess my sins (which He already knew, anyways) and ask for forgiveness?
Did. Not. Go. Over. Well. At. All. I got kicked out of confession. I have never heard of anyone getting kicked out of confession. Dad was confused when instead of going into the church to kneel and say my penance that I instead walked straight outside. I haven't been back to confession since. Dad never forced me again to confession.
But, I was a devout Catholic for much of my young life. Wanted to be a nun. And, not an ordinary nun, I wanted to be so good and pure that the Pope would proclaim me a Saint!
Anyhoo, I have gone through my life with believing in God. I have belonged to various non-denominational Christian churches. Ultimately, for the most part, I was disappointed in the church/people and leave.
My two oldest children have been to church and have had bible teaching, vacation Bible schools, youth groups, and choosing to be baptized. ( I had no choice, I was baptized as an infant.) My youngest child (10 year difference between middle and youngest child, oops!) has never had any church experience. I feel guilty as hell!
I read this recently.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?This really sums up where I am today. I can not believe in a God that allows such inhumanity . I can not believe in a God that one must pray to Him to heal a very sick child. And, then when the child dies, why didn't he answer your prayer? When the prayer is answered and the child healed I hear people say "God is good!" but what does that make Him when he doesn't heal the child?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?
~ Epicurus
Furthermore, why even bother to pray for healing, because according to most Christians "God has a plan for you and it is already written". He knows when you are going to die. He has your life all planned out. He has already decided whether the child will live or die, so why bother praying? And then there is the case where people ask for lots of prayers for someones healing. This one person has a whole church praying for their healing. The person is healed and it is due to all the prayers. Now, there is an equally good person who needs healing. This person doesn't have as many people praying for them because they just don't know that many people (or belong to a small church). This person dies. So, is it a popularity contest with God? Whoever has the most prayers wins!
I am struggling with this. I believe I am an agnostic. I neither believe for sure that there is no God, but I believe that there is the possibility of God. Just like aliens. I believe Jesus was a very good man. I believe in what Jesus specifically taught (supposedly) according to the Bible.
My biggest struggle is not having given my DS17 any religious training/education. Why? My other struggle is that I feel I am going to burn in Hell. How do I overcome this?
[This message edited by SisterMilkshake at 10:52 AM, April 20th (Saturday)]
StillGoing posted 4/20/2013 10:58 AM
I neither believe for sure that there is no God, but I believe that there is the possibility of God. Just like aliens. I believe Jesus was a very good man. I believe in what Jesus specifically taught (supposedly) according to the Bible.
I think the problem people have with calling themselves atheists is that there's some false assumption that to be an atheist means you are 100% sure there's no Allah or Ganesha. When I say "There is no Ahura-Mazda" it isn't because I have irrefutable proof of that, it's because I haven't been presented with convincing evidence of that entity. If suddenly Ahriman appears and knocks my ass sideways then I'd be forced to re-evaluate my worldview given new evidence.
It's okay not to know something for sure, it's why you ask questions and investigate and learn and understand. We can't ever know everything, which is cool because that means there's always something new and interesting.
My biggest struggle is not having given my DS17 any religious training/education. Why? My other struggle is that I feel I am going to burn in Hell. How do I overcome this?
Religion is an easy framework of morality to present and teach. If it's what you grew up with then it's possibly the only framework of morality you know, and teaching right and wrong outside of that framework can feel like you aren't teaching right from wrong at all because of that.
As for worrying about burning in hell, it's similar - it's what you grew up with and what your brain auto-targets. There are entire organizations dedicated to walking away from that. People suffer from PTSD as bad as infidelity and combat just from trying to disengage from their religious beliefs and community. It's painful because while there can be many people from those communities who are supportive and caring, there are many many more who can be cruel, whether they intend to or not. Telling your 6 year old grand child that their great grandmother is hell bound for eternity because [insert reason here] is very damaging no matter how gently it might be delivered, and it burns that fear in deep.
I don't worry about that anymore, but it wasn't burned into me like it was my wife. I don't think it worries her any more, but I can see the PTSD triggers set her off when we're forced to be around certain religious communities or attitudes. My suggestion is to find a group specifically dealing with that struggle, one that you feel comfortable with. It helps to know there is a supportive community that is going through the same thing you are. Like SI.
Diagoras, who is called the atheist, being at Samothrace, one of his friends showed him several pictures of people who had endured very dangerous storms; "See," says he, "you who deny a providence, how many have been saved by their prayers to the Gods." "Ay," says Diagoras, "I see those who were saved, but where are those painted who were shipwrecked?"
Itstoohard posted 4/20/2013 13:21 PM
Sister-must be the catholic up bringing becuz I too have wondered those same things.
I too had a run in with the church. While I didn't go to catholic school I regularly went to catischism (spell) where we were tested for general church knowledge. I was a good student and took issues with a so called wrong answer. I answered NO to both 1.is a kiss a sin. And 2.is sex a sin. Number 1 I got wrong. They "assumed" at 14 we would not be having sex so that was correct becuz you would be married to have sex. But at 14 you might kiss a boy so it would be a sin! I questioned about kissing my parents and was told I was being a smart aleck. That was the beginning of the end for me and any religion.
Has anyone looked into Deism? What I have learned so far seems to make sense to me.
Still not sure what label to put on me.
I was concerned my kids would not have conscience w/o church but both ok. Tho one somehow became a member of what I believe to be a religious cult....the other has my beliefs and is an awesome human...very forgiving and cares about other humans.
RockyMtn posted 4/21/2013 07:13 AM
Sister - Bwhahahaha at your confession story! I also know those creepy confession boxes (this mama has 16 years of Catholic schooling, all the way through college). I love your gumption as a kiddo. Not that I'm surprised based on your posts
I am agnostic in the "hard" sense. You can't know if god exists, I can't know either. I have no problem with believers - I just don't think they can KNOW. Believing is legit. You don't have to prove something to believe it. And I don't 100% trust science either - I even think knowledge can be mysterious, so lack of proof of god doesn't mean s/he doesn't exist. The concept/existence of god cannot be proved or disproved.
I've caught myself muttering prayers before. Could be Catholic habit. But I love the serenity prayer and I don't care if the first word is "god" - sometimes I leave it out, sometimes I don't. I also believe that there is divine in this world, simply that it rests with humans. There is divine in me, divine in my community, divine in everyday experiences. I just don't link the divine to god. Maybe god, too? Who knows? No one.
catlover50 posted 4/21/2013 09:00 AM
I think that it is important to let children search for themselves. I am openly atheist, from many years of study. I took the children to church when they were young but shared my search with them. They have studied religion on their own, even Buddhism. My son can explain the tenets of Hinduism and Scientology in detail. They both study philosophy. I am proud that they think for themselves.
Most people, IMHO, just accept the dogma that we grow up with. If you step back and evaluate it can seem foolish. It is accepted on tv that "our prayers go out to them" or that God saved this one or that one.
Would a loving God send me to hell because I truly studied and thought for myself? Would he reward someone who was mindless? Once I opened my mind it makes way more sense that there is no grand plan or any higher power. What a relief! It makes no sense any other way.
StillGoing posted 4/21/2013 22:03 PM
The concept/existence of god cannot be proved or disproved.
True, but when something enters into the category of unknowable and unprovable, it becomes irrelevant. Cows licking the world from a cosmic block of ice can't be proven or ultimately denied but beyond being an awesome story, Ginnungagap is at odds with observed and provable phenomena which edges the probability of that event into the negligible column.
RockyMtn posted 4/25/2013 20:33 PM
True, but when something enters into the category of unknowable and unprovable, it becomes irrelevant.
I don't know if I agree with that. Someone's belief is not irrelevant - to their lives. And to a lot of lives around them in many cases. But I hear what you're saying, not trying to split hairs.
But there is a lot of "proof" for supposedly knowable things that is, well, shady as shit. Or multiple theories on accepted phenomenon (i.e. why all non-avian dinosaurs are extinct). The existence of a asteroid that wiped them out has lots and lots of proof. But we don't know, based on that proof, that this asteroid existed. We believe the items set forth before us as proof. Others believe a different theory that does not include the existence of an asteroid, with a different set of very plausible arguments. Is this irrelevant? Because various theories are basically unproveable? To me, dinos ARE pretty irrelevant (my kids would disagree), as is the existence of god, but I'm sure there are reasons why dinos are relevant...and why many other unknowable things are relevant.
So, yea, I guess I'm one of those folks who just thinks a lot of things are unexplainable, regardless of accepted proof. And that's OK. Hard proof is not the "end all, be all" of existence.
I think that it is important to let children search for themselves. I am openly atheist, from many years of study. I took the children to church when they were young but shared my search with them. They have studied religion on their own, even Buddhism. My son can explain the tenets of Hinduism and Scientology in detail. They both study philosophy. I am proud that they think for themselves.
I agree. You should be proud of your kids. My WH (atheist) and I - whether we stay together or not - have a very similar approach. Its going to be damn hard for me, though, if they believe in a god/religion that professes judgment or close-mindedness. It would be hard for me to set aside any anti-gay agenda, for example, if that's what they choose to believe. But I'll try. I'll challenge them, but I'll try.
catlover50 posted 4/26/2013 13:25 PM
Well, Rockymtn, since my daughter was president of her high school's gay and straight alliance and went to Maine to help their law get passed that seems unlikely!
I find that their quests have made them very tolerant. They rarely criticize or judge anyone (except me, of course!). I learn from them!
RockyMtn posted 4/26/2013 16:28 PM
Well, Rockymtn, since my daughter was president of her high school's gay and straight alliance and went to Maine to help their law get passed that seems unlikely!
Kudos to her. That's awesome. I hope my kids grow up to be like your daughter. The thing I want most for them in this world is to be KIND.
StillGoing posted 4/26/2013 17:19 PM
But there is a lot of "proof" for supposedly knowable things that is, well, shady as shit. Or multiple theories on accepted phenomenon (i.e. why all non-avian dinosaurs are extinct). The existence of a asteroid that wiped them out has lots and lots of proof. But we don't know, based on that proof, that this asteroid existed. We believe the items set forth before us as proof. Others believe a different theory that does not include the existence of an asteroid, with a different set of very plausible arguments. Is this irrelevant? Because various theories are basically unproveable? To me, dinos ARE pretty irrelevant (my kids would disagree), as is the existence of god, but I'm sure there are reasons why dinos are relevant...and why many other unknowable things are relevant.
So, yea, I guess I'm one of those folks who just thinks a lot of things are unexplainable, regardless of accepted proof. And that's OK. Hard proof is not the "end all, be all" of existence.
Well, hrm. I don't want to split hairs either but proof and evidence are not the same thing.
Evidence based beliefs such as the asteroid are Best In Category beliefs that can always be replaced by beliefs with stronger supporting evidence. That the dinosaurs of the K-T event were rendered extinct due to an asteroid and the subsequent worldwide disasters that followed - literally fire raining down from the sky on the other side of the planet as debris from the asteroid was thrown out of the atmosphere and crashed in again, for example - has been borne out through a very large body of evidence ranging from simulations to findings like the Chicxulub Crater and high concentrations of iridium. That K-T event isn't even the worst extinction level event - the Permian event killed off 97% of all marine life and they believe that was due to flood basalts. Imagine half a million years of a lava covered planet with all the oxygen sucked out of the ocean. That's fucking scary. It makes an asteroid with an eruption cone that extends about 20 miles into the atmosphere. I mean thats in fucking space. It's scary.
So it isn't to say that flood basalts are irrelevant but that they are not as likely as an asteroid impact for the KT event, though they are the likely candidate for the really scary Great Dying.
That's not where I was going with irrelevant, though. If it existed, it's potentially knowable. Even if somehow in the future we develop FTL travel, we should be able to escape our causality envelope and view our own distant past as light escapes the planet near the edge of the universe at a threshold of like 3 bya. So it is potentially *knowable* in that sense, though not likely - yet the likelihood does not make it impossible.
So for a thing to be truly unknowable means for it to have no influence over reality - at which point it is no longer relevant to our existence in this reality. It may have an unknowable influence, but if we cannot know it then we cannot accommodate for it in any way, and if that is the case then wild guesses are as good as cheese on thursday.
For some folks that's fine, sure. I consider it irrelevant because if it has no tangible, knowable influence then it effectively does not exist. If a leprechaun appears and shouts SURPRISE and pees on my shoes then I'll be forced to reassess my views on leprechauns, but until then I'll stick to being scared of tooth faeries. because i'm a wimp and I hide my face in g_r's shoulder when scary parts of a movie come on.
If potential is simply what might be, and what might be is simply the future of the now, and the now is what exists in the moment, then what exists in the moment is the logical precedent for potential - betting against that is fine, but the longer the odds against the evidence the longer the odds against its existence.
Also, dinosaurs are relevant not just because of things like oil and evolution but they're FUCKING AWESOME!
How could that NOT be relevant to EVERYTHING?
[This message edited by StillGoing at 5:25 PM, April 26th (Friday)]
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First Look: Edelbrock's New Big-Block Wedge Heads
When Edelbrock introduced their Mopar small-block heads a couple of years back, they filled a sorely needed void in the Mopar performance marketplace-an affordable, bolt-on, high-flow replacement for the production passenger-car cylinder head. The head quickly became a popular choice with Mopar fans looking to build that special engine, but one question remained: When would they come out with a version for the big-block? After all, you could get the small-block with decent-flowing production iron heads, but making real power with the big-block was always a challenge with the relatively flat-flowing stock heads.
It takes a lot of airflow to feed 440-plus cubic inches, and Chrysler big-blocks needed serious improvement in cylinder-head flow. So the factory created a series of big-port high-flow heads for the Max Wedge. In 1964, the introduction of the Hemi was really an adaptation of the highest-flowing cylinder heads the engineers could conceive for the existing (but improved) RB Wedge. With the release of the Hemi, continued effort on serious high-flow wedge heads became irrelevant. The heads used on the famous 383 and 440 Magnums from the musclecar years were nothing but the very same heads used across the board on all big-block engines (except on '67 440s). That's essentially a one-size-fits-all head, from a 383 two-barrel in a four-door Polara, to the 440 Six Pack in a '69 Super Bee.
To fulfill such broad requirements, the production cylinder heads necessarily became a compromise. In the context of the time, it wasn't really a bad compromise. The biggest production cams in the 383s and 440s only lifted the valve some .450 inches, and the production head offered reasonable low- to mid-lift flow. Turn up the heat, however, and the heads become the limiting factor. Making big power with production iron heads requires porting, and competent porting at that. We thoroughly researched 440 production head mods in previous articles to get the information out there. Unless you have time, patience, and a sculptor's touch, be prepared to pay big for a set of fat-flowing old iron. We don't know any porters who work for free, and with the time involved to really get the stock heads to move air, we're talking $1000-$1500 worth of cutting. Add the cost of 16 new valves, springs, retainers and keepers, a high performance valve job, guides, machining the spring seats if a large cam is used, a set of hardened exhaust inserts, and we're talking serious dough for a really good set of iron heads.
Edelbrock has developed a line of high-flow aluminum cylinder heads for a broad range of applications, but until now the big-block Mopar version has been conspicuously absent from the lineup. The Edelbrock approach is to design the head as true to the concept of a bolt-on replacement as practical, retaining the production layout so items such as the valvetrain, intake manifold, and headers will interchange with those designed to work with production heads. This constraint makes it more difficult to design a head that offers meaningful improvement in airflow; however, it dramatically lowers the cost of making the transition from the production head to the aftermarket Edelbrock head.
Since the basic layout is similar to the production piece, the design and execution are critical to achieving high flow. With the resources of Edelbrock's high tech research and development (R&D) facilities, design engineers are able to create the basic port profiles using computer models. Through stereolithography, the electronic information is transferred to a tangible working prototype of the port. The prototype comes in the form of a laser-cut full-size plastic model, called a flowbox, that gives the design team a port that can be easily tested for flow performance. Evaluation at the flowbox stage can be incorporated into the design before any real metal castings are poured.
The goal was to show flow improvement over even a well-ported production head, allowing for strong power production out of the box in a street/strip application. When we got wind of the news that the early production prototypes were just finish-machined at the Edelbrock R&D lab, we headed out to have a look.
Starting at the combustion chamber, the familiar fully-open design of the '68-and-later production head was set aside in favor of the more efficient closed quench area-similar to the highly sought-after 915 production heads. With the correct piston clearance, the quench pad, along with a small quench area on the spark-plug side, induces turbulence to the mixture as the piston approaches TDC. The result, at least in theory, is a better burn, less tendency towards detonation, less total spark-advance requirement, and less exhaust-gas dilution of the mixture from the dead space in the production open head. The bottom line should be more power.
Another subtle change is in the spark plug location, with the more common 31/44-inch reach reduced hex rather than the production 11/42-inch. Besides having a more favorable position deeper in the chamber, the plug is angled slightly (15 degrees) towards the exhaust valve, as is the practice in most modern wedge cylinder-head designs. We like the chamber.
Filling out the chamber are a set of 2.14-inch intake, 1.81-inch exhaust valves in 21 4N stainless steel, complete with wear-reducing flash-chromed stems. The valves have an 111/432-inch stem, smaller in diameter than the production 31/48-inch, which removes material from the flowpath while reducing valve weight. The valves ride in premium heavy-wall manganese-bronze guides, which are highly wear- and seize-resistant. The top of the guide is machined to receive a small-diameter, positive-type valve seal. The seal type, in conjunction with Edelbrock machining on the spring seats, allows for the installation of dual springs without additional machining and accommodates very high lift. The heads come with a stout single spring, delivering 120-pounds seat load at the as-delivered installed height of 1.880 inches, and are able to handle up to .600-inch lift. The valves seat on ductile iron valve-seat inserts pressed into the head. The valve and seat combo has proven compatible with unleaded fuels in extended street use in other applications.
The intake and exhaust ports are in the conventional location, allowing for the retention of the stock manifolding, both on the way into and out of the heads. Though the port size is not significantly altered from production heads, the port shape is highly developed for efficient flow. The intake port widens significantly beyond the pushrod pinch, and extends to the valve via a nicely formed and finished port bowl and shortside radius. The huge, obtrusive guideboss of the production iron heads is gone. On the exhaust side, the bowl area resembles a radically ported production head, again with the flowpath lacking the production head's large guideboss, which encumbers flow. From the bowl, it's a short direct path out of the head.
Like Edelbrock's small-block Chrysler head, the big-block version does not carry an exhaust crossover-an item that has no place on a performance aluminum head. We also noted that the lower edge of the intake port face is filled in, rather than the cut-back style of the production heads. This allows the option of using a separate breast plate or valley cover, and individual composition gaskets at the manifold face. The stock one-piece valley pan/intake gasket can therefore be eliminated.
Eliminating the stock valley-pan gasket can be an advantage where heavy milling of the block or heads renders poor alignment with the stock pan. Also, the pan is simply an embossed steel gasket, questionable in its sealing ability with anything but the heavy factory iron intake on iron heads. Porting the heads reduces the available sealing area, further compromising the seal. Thin paper gaskets can be added to enhance sealing with the stock valley pan, but we think that six-piece gasket setup is garbage. Finally, to end this valley-pan tirade, the stock steel shim gasket, with its efficient thermal conductivity, adds a surprising amount of heat to the intake via the heads. Not good. We don't know if Edelbrock plans to offer an aluminum valley cover to go with their heads, but it would be simple to fabricate them at home. A valley plate combined with a composition intake face gasket seems like the way to go.
As of our visit to Edelbrock, the heads were being prepared for dyno evaluation on Edelbrock's 440 Chrysler research engine. The engine is already fitted with a nicely ported set of production iron heads, so the new Performer RPM heads have to work to prove their worth. We expect the heads to be released through Edelbrock retailers by the time this issue of Mopar Muscle hits the newsstands. We're already planning to build an engine and do our own dyno testing. At Edelbrock, we had a chance to flow the new heads, and the results showed substantial flow. Want an affordable trick aluminum head to top off that old Mopar? Edelbrock's got your engine covered.
Show Me The NumbersHeading out to the Edelbrock plant to get the scoop on the new big-block Mopar heads, we took a virgin 906 casting, along with the necessary flow-testing apparatus, and tossed them into the trunk of our Edelbrock-headed small-block '69 Dart. The head, off an untouched low-mileage '69 440, still retained its production machining down to the factory valve job. The seats were in outstanding condition, at the factory height and width, with the production valve sizes of 2.08-inch intake/1.74-inch exhaust. The head and valves were just cleaned spotless, with no flow-enhancing mods or flow-robbing carbon buildup or dirt.
After surveying the new Edelbrock castings and discussing the design features with the engineers, the conversation naturally turned to flow numbers. They can vary considerably from bench to bench, and some manufacturers, and especially head porters, throw out impressive specs, but the bottom line is: How much more flow do we get for the money? We discussed how much better the Edelbrocks flowed than a production head, and mentioned that we happened to pack a stock casting; "What do you say we flow it?" The R&D crew at Edelbrock said, "There's the bench, have at it." The result is an independent and unbiased flow comparison between a pure stock 906 casting, considered by many to be the best-flowing stock regular-production big-block head, and the new Edelbrock Performer RPM-on the same bench, on the same day.
The results speak for themselves, with the Edelbrock showing a substantial gain in flow throughout the lift curve, both on the intake and exhaust. The numbers we obtained were identical to the figures given by the Edelbrock engineers, proving the integrity of Edelbrock's claims. It would take an outstanding modified production head to approach the numbers of the out-of-the-box Edelbrocks. Dollar for dollar, the amount of porting alone would likely cost more than the full price of the complete ready-to-run Edelbrocks, to say nothing of the cost of new seats and guides, valve machining, springs, valves, etc.


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Whitney Purvis, who was featured on the first season of MTV's 16 and Pregnant, was arrested yesterday after she allegedly stole a pregnancy test from her local Walmart. According to police, the 20-year-old hid a First Response in her hoodie and then went to the store's restroom and used it. There's no word on the test's results, but she was booked for misdemeanor shoplifting. Whitney's mom—who was also pregnant during Whitney's episode of the reality show—was busted for meth last June.
'16 and Pregnant' Star Arrested for Stealing Pregnancy Test [TMZ]


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This spring, New Yorkers will have their noses assaulted by an unpleasant odor coming from the army of white-blossom covered trees that line many of the city's streets.
These flowers, though lovely in appearance, smell like a mixture of rotting fish and semen, according to a variety of web reports, and personal accounts from those in our own newsroom.
A tall, deciduous tree called the Bradford Pear (scientific name Pyrus calleryana) is to blame for the raunchy-smelling flowers.
The trees were planted all throughout New York in the 1960s because they are hard to kill — they grow fast and can thrive in tough conditions. People also think they are pretty. In the eastern United States, they are considered an invasive species because of their prevalence.
One downside is that these hardy "street trees" really stink.
Urban Dictionary has labeled Bradford Pears the " semen tree," with an equally inappropriate, though colorful, description of their smell, which you can read over there.
Getting to the source
Everything we smell — from bananas to pine needles — comes from molecules, usually made of volatile chemicals, meaning chemicals that evaporate easily. The molecules evaporate from the food or flower and travel into your nose, where they bind with receptors in our nose.
The compounds that make the Bradford Pear tree's flowers smell are likely due to a type of chemical called amines, Dr. Eloy Rodriguez, a professor of plant biology at Cornell University, told Business Insider.
We come in contact with the smell of amines every day in the form of body odors, like under the arm pits.
The fishy odor produced by the Bradford Pear is likely a combination of two amines called trimethylamine and dimethylamine, according to Richard Banick, a botanical manager at Bell Flavors and Fragrances. Although perfumers know what chemicals produce the fishy smell (trimethylamine is often used an indicator of how fresh a fish is) they can't be certain what causes the odor of the Bradford Pear, said Banick.
Plants that produce volatile amines, some that smell like rotting meat, use the gas either to attract flies who will then spread the flower's pollen, or to ward off insects that might want to steal the nectar, said Rodriguez.
Rodgriquez suspects that the volatile compounds in the Bradford tree are there as attractants, and not necessarily to repel pollinators.
Later, the trees produce little green-yellow fruits that you cannot eat.