text:
Matthew Heines is the Real Deal
David v. Big Tech Goliath
Because the future is what you make it, in 2020 veteran, author and teacher Matthew Heines ran for the United States House of Representatives.
His opponent is a Bill Gates, Microsoft, High Tech, perpetual lockdown recommending, election stealing Democrat.
She has doubled her 80 million dollar fortune in the 8 years she has been in Congress.
She spent 8 million on her last campaign – raised in California.
Matthew Heines had $800.
Where did my lead go?
For the sake of the people of Washington, Matthew Heines, with little resources, decided he would do something different to attract the attention of the voters.
As a veteran, author, teacher and small businessman with 14 years of experience living in the Middle East, Matthew Heines seemed to be the obvious candidate.
Here is Matthew Heines' submission on the 2020 Washington State Voter Guide.
I think it deserves to be voted Best Blog of 2020.
Let me know if you agree or disagree in the comments.
The Future is What You Make It
Thank you dear hero for giving of your time to vote.
I'm Matthew Heines and for you, a poem I wrote.
It's about why you should check the box next to my name,
That way, things will never be the same.
In 2018, I ran on my plan called Real Deal,
The Real Deal – Matthew Heines' Platform
We were facing so many problems it would make a nun steal.
Since that time Congress has stabbed us in our backs,
Making a bonanza for dirty lawyers and their political hacks.
Politicians put on puppet shows to justify their existence,
While the hateful media covers up their malfeasance.
Of all we suspected before we know now to be true.
If you ain't got no money, America don't care about you.
The rich use racism keeping the working poor in check,
With hateful media, low wages and never ending debt.
They manipulate you by pictures, songs and false words,
But when the election is over, your voice is not heard.
Thanks to this virus, you got poorer while the rich took it all.
Lying, hateful media gets rich while the poor lose their businesses due to Democrat lockdowns
They live in splendor, your back's against the wall.
They make you wear masks and stay kenneled like dogs,
While they sit in their mansions doing interviews with hogs.
These politicians, they love to talk about their money.
They show you their ice cream and they think that's funny.
Well, I'm Matthew Heines and I'm running for Congress.
As a teacher, all of my life, I had to make due with less.
The China Virus Allowed the Anti-American big tech firms to prosper and censor for China
To the millionaire incumbent we all have just one thing to say,
"You've done enough damage, now get out of our way!"
Vote Outside the Box or You'll Be Voting For Democrats From a Pine Box
The future is what we make it, but we must read the signs.
This sign says "Great future ahead, if you Vote 4 Heines."
Unfortunately, Matthew Heines' great poetry and his $800 couldn't compete with Suzane Del Bene's California Hi Tech and China Millions.
It's Hard to Tell Where Gates Ends and Inslee Begins!
Killing people in Washington State during China Virus lockdowns, denying residents access to higher education and favoring illegal immigrants over US Citizens are all a source of amusement for Hateful Jay Inslee and Needles Gates.
If you believe the Dominion voting machines, Washington State chose taxation and a Chinese style big tech regime under the leadership of Hateful Jay Inslee and Bill "Needles" Gates over real leadership, rule of law, freedom and opening up small businesses.
America can do better in 2022. Let's make 2021 the year we stop the rule of the stupid rich.
The Future is What You Make It – 2020 Blog of the Year
Is Matthew Heines wasting his time?
Are you making a stand for your country, your neighbors and your community?
Are you better off hiding until they come for you?
Let us know in the comments.


text: The extremely low-profile E6 Earset delivers beautifully uncolored audio while rejecting surrounding noise and feedback. An ultra-miniature electret condenser element is held close to the mouth by a thin boom and comfortable earpad. Three sensitivity options cover general speaking applications through extremely powerful vocals. Four colors allow you to match the E6 to your skin tone for minimum visibility. The element is available as a water- and wind-resistant omnidirectional microphone or as a pattern-changeable directional microphone for maximum isolation and gain before feedback. The boom adjusts for a custom fit and is available in our classic springy style, the extremely flexible "i" style, or the Flex style providing a soft boom in front and a springy ear section.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Content embedded from external sites such as YouTube or Twitter is loaded immediately when visitors access your site. Embed Privacy addresses this issue and prevents the loading of these contents until the visitor decides to allow loading of external content.
But Embed Privacy not only protects your visitor's privacy but also makes your site load faster.
All embeds will be replaced by placeholders, ready for you to apply style as you wish. With only a couple of lines of CSS.
By clicking on the placeholder the respective content will then be loaded.
Note: This plugins requires the PHP extension "Document Object Model" (php-dom).
- Upload the plugin files to the
directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly. - Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' screen in WordPress.
- Embedded content will automatically be replaced by a placeholder and can be loaded on demand by your visitors. There are no additional settings.
- To allow users to opt-out of embed providers that they set to always active, place the shortcode
into your privacy policy.
Can Embed Privacy keep external services from tracking me/my visitors?
Yes. As long as you don't opt in to load external content, you/your visitors can't be tracked by these services.
Does Embed Privacy make embedding content privacy-friendly?
The embedding process itself will be privacy-friendly with Embed Privacy. That means, that no third-party embed provider can track users without their explicit consent by clicking on the overlay to allow the embed to be loaded. However, to make sure everything is fine you need to expand your privacy policy for each embed provider you're using or you want to use because you need to specify, where data will be sent to and what happens to them.
Does Embed Privacy support the Gutenberg editor?
Sure thing! We enjoy playing with the new WordPress editor and developed Embed Privacy with Gutenberg in mind, the plugin will work no matter the editor you use.
Which embeds are currently supported?
We currently support all oEmbed providers known to WordPress core by default. Want to know about them? Here you go:
- Amazon Kindle
- Anghami
- Animoto
- Cloudup
- DailyMotion
- Flickr
- Funny Or Die
- Imgur
- Issuu
- Kickstarter
- Meetup
- Mixcloud
- Photobucket
- Pocket Casts
- Polldaddy.com
- ReverbNation
- Scribd
- Sketchfab
- SlideShare
- SmugMug
- SoundCloud
- Speaker Deck
- Spotify
- TikTok
- Tumblr
- VideoPress
- Vimeo
- WordPress.org
- WordPress.tv
- YouTube
We also support Google Maps via iframe and the plugins Maps Marker, Maps Marker Pro and Shortcodes Ultimate.
Since version 1.2.0, you can also add custom embed providers by going to Settings > Embed Privacy > Manage embeds. Here you can also modify any existing embed provider, change its logo, add a background image, change the text displaying on the embed or disable the embed provider entirely.
Can Embed Privacy automatically download thumbnails of the embedded content?
Yes! Since version 1.5.0, Embed Privacy supports downloading and displaying thumbnails in posts for SlideShare, Vimeo and YouTube as background of Embed Privacy's overlay.
Developers: How to use Embed Privacy's methods for custom content?
Since version 1.1.0 you can now use our mechanism for content we don't support in our plugin. You can do it the following way:
/** * Replace specific content with the Embed Privacy overlay of type 'google-maps'. * * @param string $content The content to replace * @return string The updated content */ function prefix_replace_content_with_overlay( $content ) { // check for Embed Privacy if ( ! class_exists( 'epiphyt\Embed_Privacy\Embed_Privacy' ) ) { return $content; } // get Embed Privacy instance $embed_privacy = epiphyt\Embed_Privacy\Embed_Privacy::get_instance(); // check if provider is always active; if so, just return the content if ( ! $embed_privacy->is_always_active_provider( 'google-maps' ) ) { // replace the content with the overlay $content = $embed_privacy->get_output_template( 'Google Maps', 'google-maps', $content ); // enqueue assets $embed_privacy->print_assets(); } return $content; }
Can users opt-out of already opted in embed providers?
Yes! You can use the shortcode
to add a list of embed providers anywhere you want (recommendation: add it to your privacy policy) to allow your users to opt-out. -
What parameters can be used in the shortcode?
The shortcode
can be used to let users opt-out of embed providers that have been set to be always active by the user. It can have the following attributes:headline – Add a custom headline (default: Embed providers) [embed_privacy_opt_out headline="My custom headline"] subline – Add a custom subline (default: Enable or disable embed providers globally. By enabling a provider, its embedded content will be displayed directly on every page without asking you anymore.) [embed_privacy_opt_out subline="My custom subline"] show_all – Whether to show all available embed providers or just the ones the user opted in (default: false) [embed_privacy_opt_out show_all="1"]
You can also combine all of these attributes:
[embed_privacy_opt_out headline="My custom headline" subline="My custom subline" show_all="1"]
Is this plugin compatible with my caching plugin?
How can Embed Privacy be extended?
Check out our documentation: https://epiph.yt/en/embed-privacy/documentation/
Who are you, folks?
We are Epiphyt, your friendly neighborhood WordPress plugin shop from southern Germany.
Contributors & Developers
"Embed Privacy" is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors"Embed Privacy" has been translated into 4 locales. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate "Embed Privacy" into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
- Improve the text for screen readers upon activating the embedded content
- Fixed compatibility with other widget plugins
- Fixed handling of videos in Divi
- Fixed an error while uninstalling the plugin
- Fixed aspect ratio of embeds embedded via Divi
- Fixed spelling of "SlideShare"
- Added support for thumbnails for WordPress TV
- Added filter to filter embed arguments
- Added filter to ignore certain embeds
- Improved style generation to improve performance and fix HTML validation
- Improved script loading by using
attributes - Fixed certain fields deleted after changing embed provider to draft
- Fixed URL encoding after replacements
- Fixed the output of the opt-out shortcode (thanks wpdabh for reporting)
- Added support for Anghami
- Added filter to prevent thumbnail orphan deletion
- Added check for PHP DOM extension
- Improved loading embed providers
- Improved compatibility with Advanced Custom Fields
- Fixed compatibility with PHP 8.2
- Fixed a potential PHP warning if a post does not exist while checking permissions
- Fixed functionality of the opt-out shortcode if the current website uses a non-standard port
- Fixed replacing only the necessary part of embedded contents for custom embeds
- Fixed replacing all occurrences of a custom embed in the current content
- Fixed multiple unnecessary database queries in migration before the actual check whether a migration is necessary
- Fixed downloading the thumbnail multiple times when the same embed is embedded multiple times
- Fixed deleted thumbnails if they are only in content of Advanced Custom Fields
- Fixed a potential security issue regarding disclosing absolute paths in thumbnail URLs (special thanks to @kraftner)
- Fixed aspect ratio generation if width or height contains a percentage sign
- Fixed thumbnail positioning (it's now horizontally and vertically centered)
- Fixed HTML output of the opt-out shortcode
- Fixed getting the URL of video shortcodes properly to not block content from the same (sub)domain
- Improved Google Maps height in Kadence Blocks
- Fixed a JavaScript error if jQuery is not initialized
- Fixed potential PHP warning regarding an undefined variable
- Fixed potential PHP warning regarding an undefined hostname while retrieving the embed URL
- Added support for crowdsignal.net
- Added support for classic video shortcode/widget
- Added support for SlideShare thumbnails (thanks to @Lazza)
- Added support for custom thumbnail generation via filter
- Fixed hiding thumbnails after embedded content has been enabled
- Fixed aspect ratio for embeds without proper dimension information
- Fixed aspect ratio for non-default content width themes
- Fixed handling of the % character
- Fixed aspect ratio for many oEmbeds
- Fixed replacing some oEmbeds
- Fixed potential problems while retrieving a single embed provider
- Fixed deleting post metadata of embed providers while editing them via WP-CLI
- Restore displaying YouTube thumbnails
- Updated required WordPress version to 5.0
- Fixed text links to youtube.com
- Fixed Twitter embeds
- Added automatic detection of aspect ratio if given by the embed
- Added ability to work with HTML of regular oEmbed providers
- Added filter to ignore shortcodes (see documentation)
- Added matching links to the new documentation at https://epiph.yt/en/embed-privacy/documentation/
- Improved handling of matching non-standard elements (embed, iframe, object, see documentation)
- Fixed Google Maps regex pattern after installation
- Fixed behavior of the opt-out shortcode with enabled page caching
- Fixed line-height of custom embeds in Elementor
- General code improvements
- Fixed storing and displaying video thumbnails from Vimeo that are embedded using the domain player.vimeo.com
- Fixed unnecessary line breaks within the classic editor
- Fixed displaying the overlay if an embed of a known embed provider followed an embed of an unknown embed provider
- Fixed uninstallation issues
- Added support for embed provider Pocket Casts
- Added support for Maps Marker and Maps Marker Pro
- Added support for Google Maps in Shortcodes Ultimate
- Added support to automatically download and display a thumbnail of the embed for Vimeo and YouTube (only in posts)
- Added support to re-initiate the database migration and display an error message if it has been failed at least three times
- Added support for Polylang and Polylang Pro
- Added a new filter to allow stopping Embed Privacy from handling unknown embeds
- Added option to disable the direct link in the overlay
- Updated logos for Reddit, SmugMug and SoundCloud for better readability
- Use the plugin version as parameter for assets to allow better caching and prevent problems with some setups
- General code improvements
- Fixed a JavaScript error
- Fixed an issue with always active providers being cached by page caching plugins
- Fixed printing inline JavaScript only once
- Fixed displaying embeds on mobile devices while using Divi
- Fixed the output of assets
- Improved regular expression for Google Maps
- Fixed an issue where JavaScript assets may be missing for the opt-out shortcode
- Fixed an issue with always enable an unknown embed provider
- Fixed issues with missing JavaScript for Facebook embed of Jetpack
- Fixed a potential encoding issue
- Fixed issues with Facebook embed of Jetpack
- Fixed issues with registering assets
- Fixed a problem that prevents embed fields from being stored
- Fixed an expired link during plugin activation and creating a new embed provider
- Fixed invalid HTML by changing the accessibility behavior (it's now a separate button)
- Fixed potential empty link titles in other locales then English
- Fixed potential unwanted URL encoding in the content after Embed Privacy replaced an embed
- Added support for Pinterest and Wolfram Cloud
- Improved migrations to fix duplicate providers or performance problems in multisite installations
- Embeds can now be enabled via keyboard
- Added a link to the original content on the bottom right overlay corner
- Added support for caching the opt-out shortcode
- Clicking on the "always enable content of X" enables all embeds of this provider on the current page immediately
- Improved markup of local tweets
- Added additional class to checkbox paragraph, thanks to @florianbrinkmann
- System providers cannot be deleted anymore
- Fixed oEmbed provider name if the provider is unknown
- Fix enqueuing assets for unknown embed providers
- Fixed enabling multiple YouTube videos in Elementor
- Fixed displaying content if the page contains an always active provider
- Fixed functionality in Elementor
- Fixed custom embed provider output
- Fixed replacing content in shortcodes multiple times
- Fixed checking for theme/template
- Fixed deleted meta fields if you put an embed provider in trash and restore it afterwards
- Fixed Embed Privacy sometimes trying to replace an embed twice
- Fixed an error that may occur if Embed Privacy tries to replace an embed that doesn't need to be replaced
- Fixed checking for local domain if WordPress itself is located in a sub-domain
- Fixed always enable YouTube within Divi
- Fixed overlay line height in Divi
- Improved mobile design for responsive embeds
- Fixed centering for non-responsive embeds
- Fixed disabled embed content from preventing interactions with the text below the overlay
- Fixed general activation error
- Fixed a fatal error on uninstallation on non-multisite
- Fixed activating via WP-CLI
- Fixed deleting an option on uninstallation
- Added local tweets without overlay
- Added option to preserve data on uninstall
- Added compatibility with theme Astra
- Added filter
for filtering the whole markup of an embed overlay - Added proper support for embeds on the current domain
- Added support for embeds on other elements than
- Enqueue assets only if needed
- Removed images from media (which had been added in version 1.2.0) and use fallback images for default embed providers
- Improved regular expression for Google Maps
- Improved texts for clarity
- Fixed visibility of custom post type
- Fixed network-wide activation
- Fixed clearing oEmbed cache
- Added a check if a migration is already running
- Fixed a bug where the page markup could be changed unexpectedly
elements are now replaced correctly- Added a missing textdomain to a string
- Excluded local embeds (with the same domain)
- Fixed Amazon Kindle regex being too greedy
- Fixed a bug where the page markup could be changed unexpectedly
- Fixed a warning if an embed provider has no regular expressions
- Improved migrations of embed provider metadata to make sure they have been added to the database
- Added support for managing embeds (add/remove/edit/disable)
- Added support for caching plugins by adding a JavaScript detection for always active embed providers
- Added CSS classes that indicate the current state of the embed (
) - Added shortcode
to allow users to opt-out/in - Fixed responsive design if the embed added an own width
- Changed provider name from Polldaddy to Crowdsignal
- Removed provider Hulu
- Fixed a possible difference in the used class name of the embed provider in HTML and CSS
- Removed provider CollegeHumor
- Fixed a bug with the automatic addition of paragraphs
- Added option to allow all embeds by one provider
- Added provider TikTok, introduced in WordPress 5.4
- Added support for Google Maps iframes
- Added URL rewrite to youtube-nocookie.com
- Added option to save user selection per embed provider
- Added provider logo to our placeholder
- Added option to filter our placeholders markup
- Added support for 'alignwide' and 'alignfull' Gutenberg classes
- Added support for using our embedding overlay mechanism for external developers
- Improved our placeholder markup to be actually semantic
- Changed .embed- classes to .embed-privacy-
- Fixed some embed providers that use custom z-index, which results in the embedded content being above the overlay
- Fixed typos
- Improved compatibility with Autoptimize
- Improved compatibility with AMP
- Fix issue with SlideShare causing wrong (generic) placeholders
- Fixed support for PHP 5.6
- Initial release


text:
Coast Guard: Hawai'i Should Prepare Now for 'Heavy Weather'
The US Coast Guard is urging the public to prepare for the onset of heavy weather expected to impact the Hawaiian Islands on Wednesday.
Currently, Hurricane Madeline has maximum winds of 100 mph and is expected to generate high surf throughout the main Hawaiian Islands.
Mariners and beachgoers are asked to monitor the progress and strength of the storm through media outlets.
Boaters can also monitor the progress of the storm on VHF channel 16. Small craft advisories and warnings are also broadcast on VHF channel 16.
The Coast Guard is working closely with local and state first responder agencies. Once the storm begins to impact the islands, emergency responders may not be able to assist those in danger. The public is urged to heed all evacuation orders. Mariners should seek safe harbor and shelter.
Additionally, mariners should secure their boats and boating equipment. Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to protected marinas where they will be less likely to break free of their moorings or to be otherwise damaged. Smaller boats should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding and is protected from high winds. Regardless of location, all loose items aboard vessels should be secured or removed.
Visitors to Hawai'i should heed all warnings from lifeguards and public health and safety officials. Although weather conditions may appear favorable, rip tides and high surf may impact beaches far in advance of the actual storm. Even the best swimmers can fall victim to strong storm-generated waves and currents. Swimmers are urged to stay clear of beaches until local officials say the water is safe. Near-shore waters may become contaminated due to runoff for several days following a storm.
A PDF version of the Hawai'i Boater's Hurricane and Tsunami Safety Manual can be found online.
For more information on hurricane preparedness, visit the National Hurricane Center online.


text:
Happy little love clouds wireless Comfort bra F-O cup
Please be sure to measure correctly, as this is a bespoke made-to-measure service. Please follow the size guide to measure correctly.
We bring you our new bra, and it's here to comfort you!
- GOTS certified Organic and Oeko-Tex Cotton
- Bespoke, handmade to measure service
- This bra offers the comfort and support of a bra without wires!
- It's so comfortable you won't even notice you're wearing it (what a relief) and has no nasty seams or itchy labels that dig or irritate
- This bra differs as it has encased elastic so you won't get horrible marks or pain
- Wash on low
- Drip or Low tumble dry
pic @theramblingsofrhianna
*You can add the new Wilde Mode Adjustable Slider straps by adding this to your order
PLEASE KEEP ON ALL Tags when trying this bra, we can only offer exchanges on this item :)


text:
Louisville police officers who fatally shot Breonna Taylor while serving a warrant were told she should be home alone because the main target of the narcotics investigation was elsewhere, according to an interview with one of the detectives who served the warrant.
Taylor was shot eight times after officers used a battering ram to knock down her door and fired into the apartment after midnight on March 13. One officer was shot by Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who said he thought an intruder was breaking into the home.
The slaying set off weeks of protests, policy changes and a call for the officers who shot Taylor to be criminally charged. Global protests on behalf of Taylor, George Floyd in Minnesota and others have been part of national reckoning over racism and police brutality.
Credit: Timothy D. Easley
Credit: Timothy D. Easley
Sgt. Johnathan Mattingly, who was shot in the leg by Walker, spoke to Louisville Police internal investigators about two weeks after the raid. NBC News obtained the interview with Mattingly and another with Walker and released them Thursday. Several key parts of the interviews were played for the public in May when an attempted murder charge against Walker was dropped.
Mattingly said ahead of the raid officers were told Taylor's ground floor apartment was a "soft target" and Taylor "should be there alone, because they knew where their target was and I guess they thought that he was her only boyfriend or only acquaintance." Police were conducting a wide-ranging drug investigation that night.
That target was an alleged drug dealer named Jamarcus Glover, who was arrested on trafficking charges the same night 10 miles (16 kilometers) away on a separate warrant. Taylor had a previous relationship with Glover.
Earlier this week, lawyers for Taylor's mother filed an amended civil lawsuit that alleged police initially called off the warrant search at Taylor's apartment but then went ahead with it to attempt to locate other drug suspects that had no connection to Taylor. Glover had already been apprehended, the lawsuit said.
Mattingly told investigators in the interview recording that officers briefed on the raid were told Glover had packages sent to her apartment in her name.
Taylor "possibly held dope for him, received the packages and held his money," Mattingly said he was told of Taylor's involvement. No drugs were found at Taylor's home.
Police had secured a "no-knock" warrant for Taylor's apartment, but both Walker and Mattingly confirmed that police knocked on Taylor's door. The warrants have since been banned by a Louisville ordinance named for Taylor. State legislators on Thursday were also discussing a bill for a statewide ban of the controversial warrants. The bill would be introduced in January.
Mattingly told investigators officers knocked for about 45 seconds to a minute before using the ram. He entered the home after the door was breached and saw two people, one with a gun, he said.
It was Walker, who moments earlier was lying in bed with Taylor and watching a movie, Walker told investigators in a 90-minute interview.
"I'm trying to protect her, she didn't have a gun," Walker said of Taylor. Walker said he fired one shot toward the ground just as the door was being bashed in. That bullet hit Mattingly in the left thigh. Mattingly then fired about six shots, he said, and then scooted himself out of the apartment.
Mattingly and another Louisville officer, Myles Cosgrove, were placed on administrative leave after the shooting. Another officer who was at the scene, Brett Hankison, has been fired for violating use of force procedures, for "blindly" firing 10 shots into the home, according to police.
RELATED: Louisville police detective involved in Breonna Taylor shooting fired
Mattingly said Hankison "was a little worked up" that night, and pointed his gun at a neighbor who was yelling at the officers.
Walker spoke to investigators just hours after Taylor was shot, and without an attorney present, according to the interview. Walker said on his way to the interview, riding in a police car, the car stopped for another person who told Walker there was a "misunderstanding."
Walker said the man, driving a silver SUV, told him: "I just wanted to let you know right now ... we had a misunderstanding."
"It seems like to me they realized they were at the wrong place," Walker said. Attorneys for Taylor's family have argued that police had no cause to go search her house.
Mattingly said the bullet hit his femoral artery, and he was undergoing physical therapy. He spoke to investigators for about 40 minutes with his attorney in the room.
About the Author


text:
KYOCERA offers a lower TCO and a longer lifetime of our products, due to the immense durability offered by the ceramic technology. The newly improved toner-technology offers a wider color range, less waste, and a smoother finish. With KYOCERA, you will experience great quality with innovative, durable, and sustainable technologies.
KYOCERA Corporation was founded in 1959 in Kyoto, Japan as a company specializing in fine ceramics. Today, KYOCERA has moved into multiple business areas, being represented in 160 countries worldwide with more than 69.000 employees, the company generates 12 billion Euro yearly.
Despec offers a wide range of toner cartridges for KYOCERA printers and multifunctional products. Furthermore, Despec is a trusted and preferred partner of KYOCERA Document Solutions Danmark A/S.


text:
U.S. Panel Rejects Blood Pressure Screening for Kids, Teens
High blood pressure among American children and teens has been rising, in part due to the increase in childhood obesity. Several expert groups have recommended that children and teens be screened for high blood pressure.
It's difficult to predict which youngsters will develop high blood pressure as adults and it's unclear whether lowering blood pressure in children and teens leads to improved cardiovascular health in adulthood, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in a final recommendation released Oct. 7.
The panel also noted that very little research has been done on the effectiveness and safety of blood pressure medications when used for months or years by children and teens.
The recommendation applies specifically to youngsters who have no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure or an underlying health problem. It also applies only to primary hypertension and not secondary hypertension, which is usually caused by an underlying health problem and treated as part of that underlying condition.
The task force recommendation, which is based on a review of studies published since 2003, was published online Oct. 7 in the journals Pediatrics and the Annals of Internal Medicine.
"The Task Force recognizes the importance of cardiovascular health for all people, including children and adolescents," panel member Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo said in task force news release.
"We don't know if lowering blood pressure in youth leads to improved cardiovascular health in adulthood. We also don't know the long-term benefits and harms for children and adolescents who initiate blood pressure medications when they are young," she noted.
"While there is much we don't know, we do know that eating a healthy diet, being active, and maintaining a normal weight are ways children and teens can improve their cardiovascular health," she added.
The task force called for more research to determine if screening and treatment of high blood pressure in youngsters improves their long-term cardiovascular health.
More information
The U.S. National Kidney Disease Education Program has more about high blood pressure and children.
Updated 31 minutes ago Biden out . . . Massapequa Little League softball . . . Shark sightings . . . Cleaning up the beaches
Updated 31 minutes ago Biden out . . . Massapequa Little League softball . . . Shark sightings . . . Cleaning up the beaches


text:
Maths is Hard
If you're a dum-dum. Luckily this interweb thing makes maths easy. Like a calculator might.
I've just got back from reviewing work entered into the BIMA's and, in my view, this was one of the standout pieces. It's a home insurance calculator built for Legal & General, a nice way to remind yourself just how far you might (or might not ) have come in this life.
I know there's nothing new in this, but there's a lot of clients asking for these types of things - for carbon offsets for example, and this is the best one I've seen for a long time, that and it's a little more relevant to me in the short term - I got greenwash at the moment and I'm really, really confused.
It's also a world better than something like this..
Some Carbon offset calculators for comparison:
One from Moses
Direct Gov (UK)
A Phillips entry to the fray


text:
See more: Housekeeping
This laundry liquid soap is made entirely from plants, but dont think that makes it any less powerful. Only 1.5 ounces will clean and protect an entire load of your clothes, with built-in fabric softener. Available in Lemongrass scent, Earth Friendly Products uses only plant-based, recycled, animal-friendly materials to make their many useful, environmentally friendly products, which are biodegradable and non-toxic.


text:
SF Opera's Moby-Dick
October 11, 2012
* Notes *
Moby-Dick (Jay Hunter Morris as Captain Ahab, Stephen Costello as Greenhorn, and Jonathan Lemalu as Queequeg pictured left; photograph by Cory Weaver) opened at San Francisco Opera on Wednesday evening. The opera premiered at Dallas Opera, and the production has traveled to the State Opera of South Australia in Adelaide, Calgary Opera, and San Diego Opera. Composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Sheer managed to distill the sprawling source material into a compelling theatrical work. The music has much appeal, and the production provides spectacle. Some of the staging is not visible in the upper balcony, and some of the voices are not heard to their best advantage from certain parts of the set. However, most of the visual effects are striking, and even beautiful.
Maestro Patrick Summers conducted a fluid orchestra. The performance seemed clean and brilliant, though at times the singers were somewhat muffled by the orchestration. The chorus sounded wonderfully in unison in the scene where the whale boats are lowered to give chase to Moby Dick. The principal cast is formidable. Joo Won Kang's diction was rather good and his Captain Gardiner was sympathetic. Robert Orth (Stubb) and Matthew O'Neill (Flask) were comical. Talise Trevigne's Pip sounded eerie and angelic. Jonathan Lemalu seemed rather creaky as Queequeg at first, but has a robust voice. Morgan Smith was a tormented but tender Starbuck, while Stephen Costello made for a sweet, vulnerable Greenhorn. Jay Hunter Morris triumphed as Ahab, sounding authoritative and full. The baritonal qualities of his voice came out in last night's performance. He was also utterly frightening and commanding in the role.
* Tattling *
There was light talking during Act I, but the chief offenders near me all cleared out by Act II.


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~ Hanging Air Plants ~
One of the latest workshops at Hutch repurposes a glass jar and an old spoon creating a whimsical hanging planter for a fun plant. I chose to use air plants because they are interesting looking and supposedly easy to take care of.
A little reindeer moss to nestle the air plant into added some more spring green. An old page from a geography book lines the interior of the jar adding a special personal touch and warmth. This is a short 1 hour session and all the materials are included in the $30. cost. The next class is scheduled on Monday, April 23rd from 1-2pm. To sign up contact Chris at Hutch. #360-399-1223.


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I'm beginning to think that a certain part of the female anatomy should be added to the list of endangered species. Why do I say this?
First of all, I do not wish to approach this subject from the perception of body imaging. August McLaughlin did a wonderful job on this topic already this week with her post, "Body Image: Exploring Myths & Walking the Walk."
No, my reason for saying this has more to do with our environment, both physical and in nature. I read a review the other day about a book that was recently release by a woman named Florence Williams. Then after finishing it I thought I would share with you some of the highlights.
One out of every eight women today will develop breast cancer in their life and more than 5 million women have had implants. That's quite a staggering statistic, wouldn't you say?
Although I have lived among two high income communities in my life that exude all things augmented, as if a teenage girl's rite into the throngs of womanhood should include an emboldened pair of new breasts, this is not what I wish to focus on. Yet, to those woman who have fought the fine fight and won their battle with that dastardly evil malignancy, I am happy that modern science has had a positive restorative affect on your bodies. 🙂
It seems that whether we are man or woman, we love those glandular beauties known as breasts, yet we don't take them seriously enough. Florence writes, "We name them affectionately, but with a hint of insult. Breasts embarrass us. They're unpredictable. They're goofy. They can turn both babies and grown men into lunkheads."
Okay, those were her words, not mine!
Breasts feed us, nurture us and excite us. But the most versatile organ in the female body can also kill us. They are made up of fat and estrogen receptors— so they "soak up pollution like a pair of soft sponges." Williams, an award-winning science writer, investigates why breasts are assaulted equally by men and a rising number of chemicals in the environment.
Ms. Williams, 45, who now has an eight year old daughter was inspired to write her book when she agreed to participate in a study of her breast milk while she was nursing her daughter. The results were shocking— her milk was full of chemicals, from pesticides to flame retardants.
Say what?
"There were reports about toxic and chemical contaminants showing up in breast milk—it was a great way to tell the story first-person," she told ABCNews.com. "I realized there was so much about breasts people don't know." Now Florence worries about research that shows girls are beginning puberty and developing breasts younger, perhaps because of exposure to pollutants. "There are hundreds of chemicals coursing through our blood," she said.
I don't know about all of you but to me this is scary stuff. As a Mother I know that it was important to me to give my baby the best start in life and had made the decision to breast feed my children when they were born. After all, according to Ms. Williams, mother's milk is "always the right temperature; it has the correct balance of lipids, proteins and sugars. It is medicinal, nutritious, and, to a baby, delicious." But to find out about this chemical information I guess was just a little more shocking than I had anticipated.
Her study also includes a phenomenon not considered before: Breast milk contains a substance comparable to marijuana and is sold on the Internet in the neighborhood of 262 times the price of crude oil.
Why are we always forced to pay more for something that's supposed to be healthy?
But her biggest concern is the vulnerability of breasts with cancer rates doubling since the 1940s. She can't say for a certainty that chemicals in the environment cause breast cancer, but she says that the breast is the one organ in the body that is not fully developed until adulthood or even the last trimester of pregnancy.
"For many years, breast cells are interchangeable and more vulnerable and so are susceptible," she said. Girls who go through puberty earlier are also at greater risk for breast cancer as adults. "We don't know why," she said.
I thought that this point was interesting: In Europe chemicals must be proven safe before entering the marketplace. But according to Ms. Williams, "We have the opposite in the U.S. and don't take them off the market until they are proven harmful."
The article ended this way: Advances in science give reason for optimism, but "regulatory agencies and the public in general are generally blind to where science is. Our bodies are intimately connected to the world around us," said Williams. "If we live in an environment filled with pollution, these things will and do affect our health."
Whatever our personal viewpoint is on this subject, I think it's safe to say that the breasts we are born with, whether man or woman, are under assault and at risk of becoming an endangered specie. How many of us have or know someone whose been affected by Breast cancer? Or cancer period?
There's just too many of us!
I don't know about you, but I'm going to go re-read my article, "Sexy as a Rockstar" and start eating more of that bad boy Kale and detox once I finish writing this post! 🙂
So what do you think? What is your personal feeling about this subject? Have you or someone you love been affected by Breast cancer? And what do you think about our toxic environment? And how has it affected you?
Thank you everyone for dropping by and for all your wonderful comments!


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Tonight, the moon is playing tricks again
I'm feeling seasick again.
The whole world could just dissolve
Into a glass of water.
I've been good, 'cause I know you don't want me to.
Do you really want me to be blue as you?
It's her daylight that gets me through.
We've been here before
Last time you scratched at my door
The moon was naked and cold
I was like a two-year-old
Who just wanted more.
If you wear that velvet dress.
If you wear that velvet dress.
Tonight, the moon's drawn its curtains
It's a private show
No-one else gonna know
I'm wanting.
Sunlight, sunlight fills my room
It's sharp and it's clear
But nothing at all like the moon.
It's okay
The struggle for things not to say
I never listened to you anyway
And I got my own hands to pray.
But if you wear that velvet dress.
If you wear that velvet dress.
Tonight the moon is a mirror-ball
Light flickers from across the hall
Who'll catch the star when it falls.
If you wear that velvet dress.


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Ear to the ground, everybody. Listen close. You can hear it coming. Could be a while. Might be a bit beat up. Probably won't look like it does now. But eventually those slight puffs of dust in the distance will slide right down Main Street and America will undergo another face- lift. And yes, after its over, the whole country will appear younger and more vital. We might even buy ourselves a red convertible.
Talking about the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, which we, the general rabble have come to know as The Immigration Bill. Presently it can be found slogging its way through the Senate on a pace rivaling that of a snail nailed to a 2 x 4 with a railroad spike. Minus the alacrity.
Taking so long because the Senate has to vote on every proposed amendment. And there are hundreds. No, seriously. Hundreds. Jeff Sessions of Alabama wrote 49, but he's playing T- ball in short pants compared to Iowa's Chuck Grassley who offered up 77 amendments. And this past Wednesday the Senate managed to vote on… four. To say it's going take a while is like intimating that surgical decapitation tends to inhibit throwing a sinker on the inside of the plate to a left handed batter. And speaking of the House of Representatives… we kid.
Various amendments deal with border triggers, border fences and border security. Restrictions on access to guns and hospitals and schools and welfare. Back taxes. Same sex couples. Stripping responsibility from Homeland Security and giving it to Congress. Ostensibly, for reasons of expediency due to Congress' nimble bureaucracy. You can't make stuff up like this.
One amendment involves the library system and one calls for national voter ID. But plenty of obvious issues have been ignored by the Most Deliberative Body in the World. So, as a public service, we here at Durstco offer up a couple of fixes to issues that we citizens living in the real world would like to see addressed. Admittedly, few are crazy enough to make it through the House.
1. Before being accepted as a naturalized citizen: Applicants must give up all rights to consort with a Kardashian.
2. Anybody desiring to be an American must immediately stop referring to soccer as football.
3. Of course we welcome diversity, but weird foreign desserts have to be given American names so we know what we're getting into.
4. Prospective citizens must pledge to name every 4th child after a President or First Lady. Barack doesn't count. Michelle is okay.
5. When swimming, men are prohibited from wearing those skimpy Speedo bathing suits that make them look like they're smuggling plums. Women are exempt from this rule.
6. Prospective US citizens must publicly choose: Ginger or Mary Ann.
7. True Americans shake hands, we don't air kiss. Women are exempt from this rule.
8. The correct answer to "How many liters in a gallon?" is "who cares."
9. Under threat of expulsion, new citizens pledge to cheer for the USA as at least their second team during international competitions such as the Olympics.
10. Any US citizen who thinks Mexico and New Mexico are in the same country must immediately leave. Even if they've been here all their lives. Congratulations. And welcome to America where Budweiser is no longer an import.
Recipient of 7 consecutive nominations for Stand Up of the Year, Will Durst's new one- man show "BoomerAging: From LSD to OMG" is presented every Tuesday, at the Marsh, San Francisco. Go to… themarsh.org for more info. Use code "boomer" for discount tix.


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When it's time to sell your house, you may be feeling a little anxious. A chapter of your life is closing. There's a lot of money on the table. You may be thinking "Is my house priced too high?" "Too low?" "Am I leaving too much money on the table?" These are big questions.
Luckily, you have a few resources at your disposal to figure out where your house stands among the crowd: a listing agent's expertise and guidance, plus online property sites to get insight into the market.
So take a deep breath. Then do your homework. The more you know, the more confident you'll be when it's time to make those big decisions.
Turn to Local Experts — Because They Really Know Their Stuff
The good news: Local market info is freely available online, so you, the seller, can get a sense of what your house is worth.
The bad news: Local market info is freely available online, so most buyers will also have a general idea of what they think your home is worth.
When pricing your house, a listing agent has your back in a way an online property listing site just can't. An agent:
- Has real world experience in your community.
- Knows the nuances of your neighborhood's micro-market.
- Can expertly assess how your home compares to similar ones recently sold in your area.
- Can tour your property to determine, inside and out, where your house fits in the real estate landscape.
A website will do none of the above.
An agent will, yes, consider online market data to help you set the price of your home. But they will also rely on firsthand knowledge about your home's unique perks (and quirks), as well as about the neighborhood, to better inform your listing price.
He or she can also recommend ways to market your house (Instagram-able photos, blog-worthy descriptions, etc.), pro stagers who can set your home up to dazzle buyers, and inspectors and contractors who can make any needed repairs.
That being said, you'll want to have your own sense of what your house is worth too. As invaluable as a listing agent is to your selling journey, being the seller means you're also the final decision maker.
So keep your laptop out. We're going to do a little research.
Search Online Property Sites — Because They'll Give IRL Experience Some Context
Millennials are the largest group of home buyers today, according to a NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®' (NAR) report, and they overwhelmingly start their buying journey — where else? — online.
The internet is there for you as well — to an extent — when you're ready to sell your home.
Online property sites like realtor.com® can give you a sense of local real estate trends, including your city's median listing price, median closing price, and the average price per square foot. As you search, there are a couple important things to do:
- Pay attention to houses in your area that are similar to your own in terms of size, attributes, and location. When you work with a listing agent to price your home, these houses will provide the main criteria for setting the amount.
- Take notes about from the pack. As you look at online listings, think carefully about why your house is worth more or less than similar houses in your community. The better you're able to articulate these nuances to your listing agent, the better prepared the agent will be to list your home at an accurate and competitive price.
Having this information can also give you confidence in the price your agent ultimately recommends — you'll know what's standard for the market, and how the price determined for your house lines up. If there are discrepancies, talk to your agent about how he or she arrived at their price. Unlike the internet, he or she can give you a complete picture of what your home's price should be and why.
Also, as you search, be aware that not all real estate listing sites are created equal. Realtor.com® aggregates listings from Multiple Listing Services (MLS) around the country, which provides the most up-to-the-minute data about home sales. (By the way, realtor.com® is the official listing site of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, which operates HouseLogic.com.) Most of 'for sale' listings at realtor.com®, for example, are refreshed every 15 minutes — so what you see is likely what you get.
Zillow, on the other hand, collect its listing information from a variety of sources and may not always be as up to date as the MLS.
The takeaway: Seller, beware. Consider your online source. Take what you've learned from online listings to your agent to talk about what's really best for you and your home.
Related Topic: Sell a Home: Step-by-Step
Try Online Price Calculators — With Caveats
As long as you're on the internet, you might decide to try an online home price calculator. With these calculators, property sites use sale prices near you (and overall market data) to approximately predict your own home's value.
You'll find an online home price calculator at almost any property site, and they all work a little differently. Realtor.com®'s home estimator tool, for instance, factors in your home's square footage and recent home sales in your area to calculate an approximate recommended sale price.
Plug your ZIP code or address into a site to see:
- Homes for sale in your community, which can give you a sense of the overall market
- Estimated prices of similar homes in your area, which can provide a general range of home prices in your area
- Property descriptions and photos of local homes for sale, which can give you a feel for how other homes are being marketed to buyers (and how you can do even better)
Info like this is good to know — particularly because most buyers will see similar numbers when they to online research, too — but you have to take what online home price calculators tell you with a grain of salt.
Online price calculators can be useful as a reference, but they have limitations in terms of their scope (they can't read nuances of the market like a human can), as well as their reliability. Some, including Zillow's Zestimate tool, which estimates market value, have been challenged by some users for inaccuracy.
Your listing agent's knowledge and expertise are more reliable measures for determining your own home's price — he or she knows the subtleties of your home, neighborhood, and real estate market inside and out. Before you and your agent can confer, don't get your heart set on a sale price.
Speaking of: The sale price is one thing. Potential profit is another.
How much money you'll pocket after selling your home depends on a number of factors, including the amount of debt you still owe on a current mortgage, property taxes, and your real estate agent's commission. To get an idea of your potential profit margin, use a net proceeds calculator, like these from United Heritage Credit Union or Oklahoma's Credit Union.
Again: These are only estimates. A lot of variables are at play between the time you set a sale price and the time you close. The home will be appraised and inspected, and those results could affect your out-of-pocket costs or the sale price. And you'll likely be negotiating the price with buyers. So use a net proceeds calculator with some care.
OK, you've done your research. Now it's time to find that listing agent who's right for you.


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An interview with author Alain de Keghel.
American Freemasonry, in context, is challenging to understand as it relates to the rest of the world. In many ways American Freemasonry mirrors the form and function of the lodge but, because it grew-up in the crucible of democracy that was itself, at the time, unique and new to the world at large. American Freemasonry is so different, that it has its own unique designation as "American." But why does this difference exist? To understand this question, it would take an outsider to examine American Freemasonry. And who better than a Frenchman.
To put American Freemasonry into context I spent some time talking to Alain de Keghel, who is the author of the new book American Freemasonry: Its Revolutionary History and Challenging Future (you can read the press release on the book here) and help shed some light on Freemasonry in North America.
Gregory Stewart (GS) Why write American Freemasonry? What inspired Alain de Keghel to be the one to write it?
Alain de Keghel (AdK): American Freemasonry is an issue which keeps rather controversial in some countries abroad, while people writing, reporting or simply delivering messages about it, not always simply knowing what matters. Quite often they sincerely believe to be aware but they never, by themselves, experienced American Freemasonry which is very diverse. America, as a whole, is a wide country and the addition of people of different creeds, different ethnic origins, different languages and specific cultural areas of origin, making together what we call the "melting pot." And because I had myself the privilege to live in the USA for a long period of time, benefiting also from the Fraternity of American Masons before of that, for example in Germany and Japan, I felt that it may be useful to share this quite rare experience in writing a book without prejudice. Even though I keep of course a specific cultural French reference simply because my basic roots are there, I tried to do it without any partisan point of view. This requires being familiar with American history which includes also the political side.
Of course any one will agree that Freemasonry shouldn't interfere in politics — but nobody can ignore the geopolitical dimension of the origins of the American Revolution and the French-British competition of two major powers that included important Masonic Figures like Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, La Fayette and of course George Washington. But we have to consider also other Freemasons and political actors like the Admirals Cornwallis and Grasse-Tilly who both took a decisive part along with Rochambeau in the famous battle of Yorktown (October 19, 1781) paving the way to the American independence.
Anyone may conceive that as a former diplomat and a Freemason I have indeed an acute interest in those aspects of French-American relationships as well from an international point of view as from both Masonic and historical ones. All these elements inspired me to write a book to try also to share the analysis from outside America. But I never intended to deliver a message which would pretend to be the "unique truth" which simply does not exist. Objectivity is a noble goal but I frankly believe that it does simply not exists.
GS: The French-British competition? Do you mean the anglo war or some other conflict?
AdK: I was referring more generally to the geopolitics at this period of time where the two then "super powers " and kingdoms where competing all over the world. And for sure in America during the American Revolution.
GS: The press release for the book puts emphasis on the fact that American Freemasonry was "deeply influenced by the experiences of many early American political leaders, leading to distinctive differences from European lodges." I'm curious if you could elaborate on this or, perhaps, give an example of one of those influences and what difference it's manifested into.
AdK: In answering your previous question, I was just referring to major figures and early American political leaders while explaining why I choose to report and analyze American Freemasonry "with French eyes." America, meaning the United States of America, is a young Nation and it appears to me important to refer to the early roots of this First power in the world today if we try to better understand how it evolved in the run of centuries since the famous arrival of the Mayflower with European refugees looking for absolute freedom of religion. Since absolute freedom of thought belongs to the most fundamental aims of Freemasonry, I would say that many of the first American political leaders spontaneously felt very comfortable with the political philosophy of the Enlightenment which is important for Freemasons all around the world. If you read the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence from Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, you very easily will find references to basic principles and values which belong to the patrimony of the Masonic Order. And it is not by chance because many writers of these texts were Freemasons. By the way, we see here the long lasting influence of this way of thinking since the values they referred to, are still accurate today. It is, to me, the most convincing demonstration that Freemasonry, while preventing of mixing in politics, is by definition a place where the civil society may find some references to ideals and principles of an ethical and political nature.
But, unlike in Europe, the same American segments of the society who emigrated to preserve their sacred right to practice their belief without fearing prosecution, these segments of society have also sometimes developed "protective reactions" which may seem contradictory to their aims. I refer here more specifically to the famous Morgan affair which I explain in my book. This was a major challenge to American Freemasons leading once to the candidacy of an "anti-Masonic party" running for federal elections. Since then, we can observe that the memberships of American Freemasonry kept totally away from its involvement in the political life of the American society.
European lodges never experienced this kind of extreme challenge and still keep outmost interested in debates over new issues like bioethics, control of birth, justice or death penalty just to list a few examples. In some countries, like France, lodges used to be a kind of "laboratory" or think tank where these kinds of issues belong to, of course beside and outside of the political partisan debate. This is one of the major distinctive differences with American Freemasonry which avoids playing any societal role and privileges the practice of ritual and of charity. It is not a critique but simply a matter of fact.
Another major difference remains, of course, and reflects specific social specificities on both sides of the Atlantic. In America white and black lodges work, mostly but not exclusively, seperately. In France, Masonic lodges are places where this kind of separation simply does not exist and could not be possible. But here again it is part of different histories.
GS: I've had the chance to speak with both Margaret Jacob and Arturo De Hoyos, so I'm familiar with their exemplar work on Freemasonry, but I'm curious why you chose them to pen the forwards for this book?
AdK: Because I am today mainly dedicated to research and academic activities, writing books and sharing my knowledge as a scholar all over the world. I spend a lot of my time working with Universities and Libraries which simply belong to the natural environment to collect and share accurate information and reliable sources. Having spent many years in the USA and still keeping the good habit to visit your country at least once a year, I have an ongoing good relationships with American academics.
Margaret C. Jacob, PhD, is best known as a professor of history at the UCLA and is one of the world's foremost Masonic scholars. She is considered a pioneer in the field of the history of civil society with emphasis on Masonic history. For that reason it was important to me to have her delivering, also to American readers, a point of view which matters.
For other reasons, my old friend Art de Hoyos appears to me as one of the American Masons best entitled to write comments on my research since he also is recognized worldwide for his sophisticated Masonic education and knowledge. A Grand Archivist and Grand Librarian of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction he allowed me, as a French life member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, to implement very important research activities in Washington, DC in order to put more light on the French-American Masonic ties throughout time.
But let me also refer here to my other friend, the past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of California, John Cooper, who also agreed to write an important afterword taking into account what we together did in the nineties and later on for the promotion of inter-Masonic exchanges in Sacramento, Edinburgh and in Paris.
As a matter of fact, these choices reflect a reciprocal confidence of people having different experiences but sharing the same values and one goal: building bridges among people of goodwill!
GS: The title of the book, its dust jacket and interior art leans heavily on the pantheon of American early American Freemasonry. In your work, how deeply did you delve into the other 'American' Freemasonry in say Mexico, Canada and further down into South America?
AdK: I am very grateful to you for this question which provides me the opportunity to embrace American Freemasonry in its diversity as I honestly did in my research. If you read my book you will learn that I was also for several years a French Diplomat in charge of representing my country at several inter-American bodies: Organization of American States, ECLAC (a specific body of the UN for economical affairs in Latin America and the Caribbean countries), the Inter-American Bank of Development and the American Regional Health Organization (OPS). My American overview includes, for this reason, a global analysis with a special focus on Latin America. But in my present book, I do not write about this specific and very important dimension. But I just have directed and published, early in July 2017, a new book totally dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean region. It may be soon also translated in Spanish.
GS: What is this book? Is it out now or is it coming soon?
AdK: This book was meanwhile published — in French so far — in July 2017: L' Amerique Latine et la Caraibe des Lumieres, Dervy, Paris. It is about to be translated into Spanish and edited in Buenos Aires, Argentine.
One word more about Canada: the Freemasonry in this country belongs to the Conference of American Grand Lodges and I have of course also included a chapter to present it to English speaking readers.
GS: Interesting in your follow up there, you say Canada belongs to the CoAGL (Conference of American Grand Lodges) Why do you think that is?
AdK: It is not an opinion but a matter of fact. Mexican Grand Lodges similarly also included into this masonic regional conference.
GS: In the press release, you establish that there's a difference between American and European lodges. Could you illustrate a few of what your work defines as differences?
AdK: The answer to this important issue is in fact easy: I have honestly tried to compare both sides and readers will discover in my book what I consider as fundamentally different. So if you allow me would prefer not to elaborate here and to keep the "surprise" for those who will read. But you may have already noticed that I was referring to one major difference. The "racial issue" simply does not exist in European lodges — unlike in America. It appears to me to be a very important difference but there are others which I address in my book. Maybe some reactions of American readers and a kind of dialog could arise from that.
I must confess that this would be of outmost interest for me and some way a privilege to establish such an exchange and dialog with American readers.
GS: Do you think these differences have affected membership levels on both sides of the pond?
AdK: For sure these differences had and still have, in my opinion, an impact on the memberships — but mainly on the influence or input of the Masonic values in the civil society. If you simply look at American statistics — and I do it also quite extensively in my book — you will realize that the memberships is steadily declining in American Lodges since the late 40s of the last century, while it is increasing in France. It is clearly one of the results of differences in addressing Masonic education, societal topics and actual issues.
Masonic education and Masonic tradition are of course both important. But young people connected with a very demanding society expect certainly more.
GS: Do you think the European version of lodge work could be implemented straight out of the box in America?
AdK: I would never say: "Do like us, and you will do better." It would be, first, very arrogant — but also inaccurate because every society has its own rules resulting from history and culture.
But you raise a good question. Would it make sense to try to experiment with other practices? This is what some American Grand Lodges have already have begun to implement with some impressive success. It is the case in California, for example. No one has a miraculous recipe to offer. But "building the bridges," a principle I was several times referring to in the run of this interview, may be part of the solution. It is my conviction that everyone has something to learn from encounters in a global world or a "world village" as someone once said. It is part of cross culture, a reality of modern times.
GS: Are there, or do you know of any examples of this implementation?
AdK: Of course yes. I know that specifically at least one Grand Lodge has recently engaged in this policy. It is the Grand Lodge of California.
GS: What do you hope American's take away from reading American Freemasonry? What do you hope European (or non-American) Masons to take away from it?
AdK: In writing American Freemasonry, first in French, I had mainly in mind to explain to my fellow European Masons what I have learned from my American Masonic experience because they too often have a poor knowledge of America in general and quite often misunderstand it. I had claimed, in a previous answer, to build bridges, and my book is part of that. As an American Publisher, Inner Traditions (American Freemasonry's publisher) accepted the idea to have my book also translated into English and edited in the USA. I was of course delighted to contribute this way to entertain a dialog with my American Fellow Brethren which is also part of building bridges and reciprocal confidence. At a period of time where the flow of information obeys the law of instantaneity and of superficiality, within the so called social networks with their "like" and "friends" who never encounter beside on the networks, I do hope that my writings may help to develop a better understanding founded on knowledge and not on prejudice.
Maybe, American Masons eventually could also be interested to discover how a French freemason sees them? But I may be mistaken and possibly nobody cares? Let us try!
I remain modest in my ambition.
You can find Alain de Keghel's new book American Freemasonry: Its Revolutionary History and Challenging Future, published by Inner Traditions – Bear & Company, on its website American Freemasonry, and at American Freemasonry on Amazon.


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Class volunteers are elected at every reunion. Each position is held for the five years between each class's reunion.
Reunion Chair
The primary goal of the Reunion Chair is to get as many classmates as possible to return to campus for Reunion Weekend.
- Form committees for networking, special class events, creative parade attire, and a decorative hospitality room
- Reach out to classmates encouraging them to attend reunion, and support class gift goals
- Schedule and conduct a class meeting during reunion, to identify class leadership for the next Reunion
Reunion Committee
Committee members assist with networking and help reflect the class character on Reunion activities and events like the hospitality room, parade, and special events. These members should be committed to engaging classmates and supporting the Reunion Chair.
Reunion Gift Chair
The reunion gift chair(s) position should be held by consistent donors to the Hollins Fund who desire to help their class participate more in the Hollins Fund.
- Solicit classmates in writing and by telephone
- Coordinate appeal letters with the Hollins Fund office
- Plan cultivation of classmates
- Recruit a committee for reunion year solicitations
Class Reporter
The class reporter serves as the main point of contact between Hollins and her class, particularly during non-reunion years. She (or he, for graduate programs) is responsible for submitting a class letter column three times a year, for each issue of Hollins magazine, composed of news from her classmates.
- Maintain a class file with an accurate record of class business
- Report any changes in classmates' names, address information, or any other biographical updates to Alumnae Relations
Contact us if you're interested in volunteering for Hollins.
Alumnae Relations


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Kang Sang Jung
What we have feared is threatening to become reality. The open rivalry and discord between Japan and China is becoming the most destabilizing factor to the peace and prosperity of East Asia. The United States is so concerned by the mounting tensions between the two leading nations in the region that it has called on them to settle their differences.
Division not unity
It has become clear that the U.S. fear that an East Asian Community concept, centered on ASEAN Plus Three (Japan, China and South Korea), may lead East Asia to coagulate into a regional Pan-Asianism bloc has turned out to be groundless. Far from embracing Pan-Asianism, East Asia is deeply divided.
Two international events that should mark the conclusion of the 60th anniversary year of the end of World War II took place in 2005 — the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum plenary meeting in Seoul and the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur. Nevertheless, discord between China and South Korea, on the one hand, and Japan, on the other — the three nations that form a core group in the East Asian region — is growing more serious.
As a result, the two events, which were supposed to shape the future of East Asia, ended up as an all-star show that produced nothing worth mentioning.
The East Asia Summit in particular, held with much fanfare, failed to achieve anything substantial, simply issuing a declaration whose focus was blurred due to the fact that the agenda covered an unnecessarily broad spectrum of items. There are three major reasons for this.
First, there was an increase in the number of participating nations. The ASEAN Plus Three summit was joined by India, Australia and New Zealand, thus the number of nations rose to 16. No solid discussions were held and the occasion turned out to be just a formal ceremony. There is a colorful plate called the East Asia Summit but there is no consensus about what to serve on it.
The U.S. shadow
Second, the summit was not free from the shadow of the U.S., which is wary of the concept of an East Asian Community that excludes it. The U.S. was behind the summit invitations of Australia, New Zealand and India to foil China's attempt to seize the initiative of the meeting. In deference to the will of the U.S., Japan vigorously worked to increase the number of participating nations. Such efforts paid off. It was decided that the summit will become a regular event and the idea of open regionalism was included in the declaration. To counter the concerted Japan-U.S. move against China, Beijing adhered to a strategy of hollowing out the East Asia Summit by insisting not only on the participation of the Russian Federation but on closer Chinese collaboration with the U.S. and the European Union. This would blur the difference between the East Asia Summit, on the one hand, and the APEC forum and the Asia-Europe Meeting, on the other, and the East Asia Summit would hardly function in substance.
Third, the conflict between Japan, on the one hand, and China and South Korea, on the other, as exemplified by the controversy over Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro 's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, persisted and affected the summit. No matter how hard Koizumi may promote the importance of Japan-China and Japan-South Korea friendship, it is impossible to open regular tripartite, let alone bilateral, summits among the three countries.
Under these circumstances, the grand concept of an East Asian Community appears to be withering away. Japan, China and South Korea should be held responsible for this.
In Northeast Asia, the rise of nationalism is so conspicuous that should tripartite relations spin out of control, the East Asian Community concept will virtually disintegrate. This would be a great loss not only to Japan, but to other nations in the region.
First, economic losses may be cited. As is commonly assumed, the 1997 Asian currency crisis triggered the East Asian Community plan. Affected by the excess of foreign capital liquidity along with the U.S.-led economic globalization under the banner of neoliberalism, East Asia was swept into an unprecedented economic disaster triggered by the Thai Baht crisis. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was unable to do anything about it.
Based on lessons learned from this experience, there were moves to create an Asian Monetary Fund. But U.S. opposition stalled these. Instead, a network of agreements on currency swaps was formed with Japan taking the initiative. This bore fruit in the form of what was called the Chiang Mai Initiative. But it fell short of constructing a permanent and stable institutional mechanism designed to hedge grave risks like a regionwide financial crisis in East Asia.
To create a system to reduce exchange risks stemming from a virtual pegging to the dollar and to ensure the circulation of intra-East Asia funds within the region, the development of financial markets and the institution of a common currency are indispensable. But this is unlikely to happen because the three nations — Japan, China and South Korea — have failed to find common ground. Given this, there is no denying the possibility of currency crises ravaging Asia again.
New Cold War
Second, a security risk may be cited. A future confrontation between the U.S. and China may be re-enacted in East Asia in the form of antagonism between Japan and China. If this antagonism is coupled with the problem of "historical perception" concerning Japan's past aggression and colonialism, a new Cold War structure bringing deep divisions may surface in Asia.
In that event, East Asia will quickly become involved in an arms race, with a geopolitical confrontation becoming increasingly serious. Such a new Cold War structure will cause an excruciating dilemma to South Korea, which has close ties with Japan and the U.S., and which is also geopolitically closely linked with China.
It will also mean denial of the endeavors of ASEAN, which has pushed for regional integration based on the sagacity of small nations and taken the initiative of turning its region into a nuclear-free zone. Furthermore, in contrast to the old Cold War following the Korean War, a new Cold War system designed to contain China will put Japan at the forefront and threats to its security will become incalculably great.
Third, the structure of a new Cold War in the East Asian region will undoubtedly provide decisive momentum to the military integration of Japan and the U.S. on a global scale. Should such a situation arise, a constitutional revision, which will completely transform the shape of postwar Japan, will become a real possibility. This in turn will create a vicious circle as China and South Korea become more vigilant toward Japan.
Consequently, Japan's security and foreign policies and strategy options will narrow. This will probably deprive Japan of the possibility of a bipolar option of putting a pivot foot in East Asia while maintaining a strong relationship with the U.S.
In light of the foregoing, the Sino-Japanese race for hegemony at the East Asia Summit is not only unproductive but may plunge the region into a new Cold War.
Asian diplomacy
If so, I believe that Japan should devise a new diplomatic strategy toward Asia to rectify its anomalous relations with China and shore up ASEAN-led efforts to create an East Asian Community while promoting collaboration between Japan, China and South Korea.
The East Asian Community is a new concept for regional integration, worked out to collectively cope with regional problems, such as a currency crisis, avian influenza, tsunami and other natural disasters, environmental disruption and nuclear plant accidents, which can spread beyond national borders, while containing the destructive effects of economic globalization. It is desirable that this regional integration should be of a nonhegemonic type in which ASEAN, equipped with tangible achievements through steady efforts, will play a leading role.
The East Asian region is plagued by a wide variety of problems, such as economic gaps, dominion disputes over territories and economic waters, religious and ethnic conflicts, and cultural confrontations. Moreover, the nations in the region have vast differences among them in their relations with the U.S. and other countries outside the region. In addition, as stated above, the problem of historical perception revolving around Japan's past aggression and colonial domination means there is longstanding ill feeling between Japan and other nations in the region.
Given these factors, the formula of a loose regional integration based on networks, which has been advanced so far by ASEAN and which attaches importance to the process of dialogue, is the most suitable to the East Asian region.
Unlike other regional integrations such as the EU and the North American Free Trade Agreement, the formula may lack definitive rules, order or leadership. But the very absence of such elements may evoke various initiatives from member nations and these initiatives would serve as a prime mover to achieve regional integration. This is an elastic and flexible approach to regional integration.
ASEAN Plus Three came into being out of such an approach. Regrettably, discord between Japan and China at the East Asia Summit weakened the initiatives of ASEAN member nations based on the approach. Japan, China and South Korea are urged to deepen collaboration, and to work in the background to bring to pass an East Asian Community with ASEAN playing the leadership role.
To achieve this end, these three nations first must share recognition that they will fall together should they do nothing but vie for hegemony. They must use the utmost restraint so as not to politicize the the perception problem concerning history.
Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that Koizumi is running the risk of nipping in the bud Chinese and South Korean restraint and moderation through his repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine. He must understand that his visits are not an isolated problem but symbolize the various problems Japan and China, on the one hand, and Japan and South Korea, on the other, must solve together.
In my view, Japan's diplomacy will certainly be deadlocked should the post-Koizumi administration be nothing more than a Koizumi administration without Koizumi. I would like to carefully watch to see if buds of change will open in the new year that has just begun.
Kang Sang Jung was born in Kumamoto in 1950. He is a professor of political science and the history of political thought at the University of Tokyo in the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies and Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies. Kang is the author of Zainichi (Koreans in Japan) and the co-author of Senso no Seiki wo Koete (Beyond the century of war).
This article appeared in The Japan Times on January 3, 2006. It is posted at Japan Focus on January 3, 2006.
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Shoulder issue has Puig on limited throwing program Outfielder dealing with flareup of inflammation; Mattingly calls move 'precautionary' By Ken Gurnick | MLB.com GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig is already on a limited throwing program after a flareup of inflammation in his right shoulder that bothered him sporadically last year. Manager Don Mattingly said Puig apparently overthrew his first day in camp and the club believes it is the same problem that he played through last year. Position players have been working out voluntarily this week leading up to Friday's first full-squad workout. After taking batting practice, Puig played catch Thursday under the watch of trainer Stan Conte. "We don't think it's serious, but we need to find out," Mattingly said, calling Puig's reduced throwing "precautionary." The 23-year-old Puig was runner-up in National League Rookie of the Year voting last year, bursting on the scene by hitting .319 with 19 homers and 42 RBIs in 104 games, although he tailed off significantly after a record-breaking first month of June. Puig had trouble adjusting to better pitching and struggled with fundamentals, such as hitting the cutoff man with throws and knowing when to take the extra base on offense. Mattingly repeated earlier comments that he doesn't want to take away Puig's aggressive nature or enthusiasm for the game, but is looking for improvement nonetheless. "His main challenge will be scouting reports," he said. "Once the competition starts and he shows spots he can't hit, shows tendencies, that's the adjustments you see from the baseball side. What they [pitchers] try to do and what adjustments he makes. It's a constant game of adjustments, of cat and mice. "Last spring, it was hard not to like what you saw -- he hit .500 or .600. Over time, you see areas you're concerned about, certain fundamental things. But I won't modify the way he plays. It's hard to see a team get upset when a guy gets excited. Every team does it. They can't get mad when they do the same things. We just want him to play the game right." __
I would have figured it was just the Americans that become out of shape pieces of shit during the offseason.
WOW! The 4 OFs situation solved!!! That didn't take long did it???? We'll be down to TWO soon...SVS, here we come!