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I've never met Brian's dad. And that's not much of a surprise. Brian lives in another state and is a private person. At times in his life, I've described him as hermitic. Even today, in the era of realtime web, Brian only lurks on Facebook and has published a lifetime total of six tweets.
So about the last place I imagined being was in an operating room following the minute-by-minute highlights of the significant kidney surgery being performed on Brian's dad.
But that's exactly where I was, via Twitter, a few months ago. Doctors at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle wanted to tweet the surgery in order to raise awareness about a new, less invasive method of removing tumors. So Brian followed the surgery on his computer. And like him, there I sat, staring at my stream of incoming tweets from NPR, tech pundits, friends, The Onion and the folks who were, at that very moment, removing a tumor from my friend's dad. The updates featured photos from the operating room, including one of a doctor who had his Twitter address embroidered into the back of his scrubs.
If you encounter a lot of people who describe Twitter as a place where people simply share mundane details about their locations or what they had for lunch, have I got some tweets for you.
Clamping arteries will minimize bleeding to provide a clear view of tumor for precise removal.
Now going to remove tumor.
Patient is solid as a rock. No bleeding.
Arteries clamped. Cutting out tumor now. Speed is everything.
Tumor removed. Under 5 minutes. Now suturing!
Once I was sufficiently relieved that the surgery was a success, I was left with a big question: Why would Brian's notoriously private family have agreed to allow the hospital to tweet the surgery?
So I asked Brian and he gave me three reasons.
First, the family wanted to be supportive of the hospital because of the fine care they were providing. Like many things related to the realtime aspect of the realtime web, I'm not quite sure what benefit is derived from tweeting from the operating room as opposed to simply posting an article or blog post after the surgery's completion. But I certainly understand the desire to be supportive of the hospital and even altruistic about sharing one's medical experiences with future patients and their families.
Second, Brian and other members of the family wanted to get realtime updates on the surgery, STAT. Under normal circumstances, that would be almost unthinkable. Without the tweets, Brian knew he'd have to wait for the surgery's completion when a doctor would come out and give the family an update. We operate in an era of realtime information when Google feels compelled to shave fractions of a second off the time we wait for search results on any topic. So I imagine it's more brutal than ever to sit in a hospital room waiting for one of the few pieces of information that really matter.
Brian's mother sat, device-less, in the hospital waiting room throughout the procedure and therefore knew a lot less than everyone else in the world. For Brian, there was no waiting. He got his updates every few minutes. It just so happened that anyone who followed the Swedish Medical Center was also privy to the same realtime updates.
Third and most importantly, Brian explained that his family had an instant sense of relief when the doctors asked if they could tweet the surgery. If the doctors wanted to use Twitter during this surgery, then they must view the procedure as fairly routine. The tweeting of the surgery actually helped to quell Brian's concerns.
And while he probably wouldn't verbalize it, I'm sure it made Brian feel supported that some friends were following along from their computer screens. He also later explained that it was sort of nice turning his dad's cohort on to the realtime revolution.
My siblings all knew what to do to follow along without any explanation. Going into it, my dad was probably aware of Twitter but he had no idea what it actually was. The night before the surgery, he dialed up his retired golfing buddies back home as I coached him trying to explain hash tags to an older crowd. After the surgery the old folks were calling to offer their good wishes and recount how cool it was to "watch" the surgery. I kind of got the feeling that a seed had been planted in that retirement set back home and I had a sense of pride that my dad had something to do with it.
I'm still not sure I'd allow someone to tweet details about a personal medical procedure. But I'd give it a lot more consideration after talking to Brian about his family's experience. A few months ago, I would have argued that my realtime stream is a place too mundane and public to include anything of deeply personal importance. I'd much rather see the creation of a more private version of Twitter where doctors and patients can communicate without the rest of planet earth being let in on the conversation.
But I suppose this is where we live now. Critical and even personal events will become more prevalent in my lifestream. This is the age of sharing. Why should I expect my internal organs to be bashful? In the future, it might seem more unusual not to tweet a surgery.
If I ever decide to let doctors tweet a surgical procedure, I'm going to at least make sure they do it using my Twitter account. At this point, I'm pretty sure Brian's dad's kidney has more followers than I do.


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Beaumont root Bowman's root Culver's physic Culver's root Hini Leptandra Oxadoddy Physic root Purple leptandra Tall speedwell Tall veronica Whorlywort
Black root is a perennial plant; the slender, simple, straight, smooth, herbaceous stem grows 2-5 feet tall from a horizontal, woody rootstock. The lanceolate, finely serrate leaves grow in whorls of 4-7; and the tiny white (or purple) flowers are tubes, nearly sessile, and very numerous, grow in panicled spikes, calyx, four-parted corolla, small and nearly white; two projecting stamens on showy spikes. The fruit is an oblong-ovate, flattened, many-seeded capsule.
Native to the United States, grows in moist soil, moist woods, and swamps from New England to Minnesota and south to Kansas.
Cathartic, cholagogue, emetic, hepatic, alterative, tonic, antiseptic
Lepthandrin in root
Lepthandrin is the extract made from the root; it should be used in lesser amounts, from 1/4-1 grain, adjusting according to age and case. Dose of the powder, as a cathartic, 20-40 grains.
Use cautiously. The infusion of the dried root used for sluggish conditions of the liver. The root is a cathartic for chronic constipation, and chronic Hepatic diseases. Used effectively for pleurisy, stimulating vomiting, diuretic, and some forms of dyspepsia. Cathartic for dysentery. Used, also, as a blood purifier or tonic.
Not recommended for use without medical supervision.
Infusion: use 1 tsp. dried root to 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes. Take in 3 equal parts, before each meal.
Tincture: take 2-4 drops in water.
Formula for Liver Disorders: 1 oz. Black root (Leptandra virginica) 2 oz. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) 2 oz. Senna (Cassia marilandica) 2 pints of distilled or boiled water Reduce water to 1 pint by boiling. Take 2 tbsp. 3-4 times a day increasing the quantity if it fails to operate gently, or decreasing if it operates too much.
The fresh root is too toxic to use safely. Dried root should be used. Not recommended for use without medical supervision.

subset: commoncrawl


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My name is Davis Finch and I have been involved with Square Peg since October 2011. I am 24-years-old and am on the higher end of the autism spectrum. I started out just taking riding lessons, but in the past six months have become a lot more involved in the organization. This is my first blog post on this website.
This past summer I had a disastrous experience with the admissions and disabled students departments at San Francisco State University. I had received a conditional acceptance letter as a transfer student in December 2012 and, after meeting the conditions as I understood them to be (confusion about the specific requirements caused me to fill out the application incorrectly), I was denied admission in late June, two months before I was supposed to start classes. At first I believed it was some sort of mistake and that everything would be cleared up quickly and rationally, but, alas, I was wrong. It started with some impersonal bureaucratic letters and emails that I found very disrespectful and ended with me storming off the campus after a
last-ditch meeting vowing never to have anything to do with the institution, ever again! What upset me greatly about the way I was treated was their lack of compassion, ignorance about autism, and attempts to pin all the blame on me while holding the deeply flawed system they work for in high regard. As a result of this, I have left academia and do not intend to return anytime soon.
As I thought this over, I realized that the core problems I had were not so much with SF State, but with the CSU system as a whole. After taking a semester off from education following high school, I started at College of Marin in January 2008. I spent the next five years (ten semesters) learning the system, navigating around roadblocks, and eventually earning my AA in political science in December 2012. Overall, it was a good experience. Some of the keys to my success were a level of autonomy that allowed me to take as many classes as I could handle (usually 2) and work out reasonable agreements with teachers when problems arose, a disabled students department that (usually) helped me when I needed them and had adequate influence in the school to get things done, an academic culture that did not shame me for being there for several years, a clear rubric explaining AA requirements, and an efficient electronic system for enrolling in classes.
I was hoping SF State, although much bigger, would be similar in those regards. Maybe it would have been once I got settled in, but I never got the chance because of two major flaws in the system that I found insurmountable. The first one, which was the reason my admission was rescinded, is SF State and all other CSU's (I think the UC's do it too, but I'm not sure) discard hard-earned units from community colleges that are not compatible with their seemingly arbitrary course requirements. For me, this meant that even though I should have had more than enough units to transfer, I was found to be half-a-unit short and thus denied admission. Even if I had been admitted, the lost units would have meant at least an
extra semester at the university, which would have ruined my goal of upgrading my degree to a BA in four years. The second major flaw in the system is the disabled students department doesn't give you any serious help unless you are enrolled as a student, which is a major problem if admission is what you need help with. This meant that although I was allowed an appeal, I had no help from the disabled students office and had no recourse when the established processes used for resolving unit shortfalls were inappropriate for my situation. These two policies combined to make appealing the denial of admission a humiliating and ultimately pointless action and made me feel discriminated against, disrespected, and unwanted.
Experiences like the one I had with SFSU prove just how special and needed organizations like Square Peg are. The generally non-hierarchical, flexible, and compassionate atmosphere at the ranch is a refreshing exception from the condescending, bureaucratic, and often downright discriminatory conditions that are all too common in our society. In military and law enforcement, it is probably necessary, but why do social services, the legal system, academia, and the corporate world have to be so hostile to people with disabilities and people who are just different? That is something we as a society must change, and organizations like Square Peg are our best hope.


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Have you noticed the ways that your work patterns have changed over the past five years? Instant messaging, tweeting, SMS, email, and chat, combined with smartphones has enabled us to be "always on." It's now easy to strike up a collaborative working relationship across organizational and geographic boundaries—by messaging, emailing, conferencing, and sending pictures and files back and forth.
Everyone is now reachable much of the time by mobile phone. The modalities of collaboration are becoming richer, and, at the same time, more ad hoc. You can get a quick answer via Twitter, SMS or instant messaging.
Having recently returned from rural Africa, I was amazed by my ability to stay in touch through my Blackberry email in the remotest locations.
For example, last week, I was sitting outdoors in a freshly-cleared area under some shade trees in a remote village we had reached using 4-wheel drive on abominably muddy and potholed dirt roads. I was listening to local Ugandan women describe what they had learned about land rights.
These 30 local women from three different villages had been researching Uganda's four different types of land ownership to discover that none of their families owned titles to the land they lived on and cultivated. Having uncovered what steps would be required to convert their property from absentee-landlord-owned land to freehold land and then to acquire land titles, they revealed that owning their own land had become so important to them, they had started earning and saving money. They had formed three separate Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs), and one group of women had already saved 1.5 million Ugandan Shillings ($750 U.S.) in just a few months. They planned to build up their collective savings and then lend money out to one another to buy their land titles.
These women gave credit for the establishment of their Savings Co-Ops both to the young women Rural Transformation Agents from the nearby African Rural University (ARU) who had jumpstarted this participatory action research project on land rights. They also specifically mentioned Dave Willett, a retired credit union executive who has been volunteering in this district to help the ARU students and the community members learn how to set up their own Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs). I knew that Dave was in California and probably wasn't aware that these SACCOs had gotten off the ground since his visit in November 2009, so I quickly emailed him the news from my Blackberry. He promptly replied, asked some questions, and promised to send along some additional background materials for a community banking workshop the ARU interns would be attending this week. Sure enough, within a day, we received the new training materials from Dave.
This is a great example of the kind of ad hoc collaboration that's taking place all around the world, around issues of importance. What impressed me was how easy and seamless it was for us to coordinate, despite the fact that the only Internet access I had was via mobile phone and wireless modem.
This is one of the proud women who know owns the title to her property!


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Code of Ethics of the International Business Broker Association
This Code of Ethics was enacted by the Board of Directors of the International Business Brokers Association and is a part of the bylaws of the Association. This Code of Ethics is for use by all Business Brokers and Members of the Association as a means of establishing uniform ethical practices when providing business brokerage services for clients and customers.
While the Code of Ethics establishes obligations that may be higher than those mandated by law, in any instances where the Code of Ethics and the law conflict, the obligations of the law must take precedence.
Modifications to this Code of Ethics are approved from time to time by the Association. Readers are cautioned to ensure that the most recent publication is utilized.
Business Brokers and the Association support entrepreneurship, and the concept that the investment risks of owning a business deserve a straightforward professional and honest presentation to both seller and buyer.
This Code of Ethics imposes obligations beyond those of ordinary commerce. Business Brokers should be zealous in maintaining and improving ethical practices and sharing with their fellow Business Brokers a common responsibility for integrity and honor in their business transactions.
In recognition and appreciation of their obligations to clients, customers, the public, and each other, Business Brokers should continuously strive to become and remain informed on issues affecting the sale of businesses, and be willing to share their experience with others.
Business Brokers should strive to eliminate practices which may damage the public or which might discredit or bring dishonor to the business brokerage profession.
Business Brokers should urge sole and exclusive representation of clients, not attempt to gain any unfair advantage over competitors, and refrain from making unsolicited comments about other practitioners.
Business Brokers should pledge to observe the spirit of this Code of Ethics in all of their activities and to conduct their business in accordance with the tenets set forth below:
Article 1
Business Brokers should avoid exaggeration, misrepresentation, or concealment of pertinent facts relating to properties and business transactions; however, nothing herein shall be construed to obligate Business Brokers to discover latent defects, to advise on matters outside the scope of their expertise, or to disclose facts which are confidential under the scope of agency duties owed to their clients.
Article 2
Business Brokers should make a reasonable effort to protect the public and all parties in a transaction against fraud, misrepresentation, or unethical practices in the area of business opportunity transactions.
Article 3
Business Brokers should not discourage or prevent customers and clients from seeking the services of attorneys, accountants, or other professional advisors.
Article 4
Business Brokers should keep in a special bank account, separated from their own funds, monies coming into their possessions in trust for other persons.
Article 5
Business Brokers should obtain terms and conditions of agreements in writing regarding business opportunity transactions and ensure that copies of such agreements are given to all parties involved.
Article 6
Business Brokers, in accepting employment as agents, should pledge to protect and promote the interests of their clients. This obligation of absolute loyalty and honesty to the client's interest is primary, but it does not relieve Business Brokers from the obligation of dealing fairly with all parties to business opportunity transactions.
Article 7
Business Brokers accepting compensation from more than one party should make disclosure to the principals of the transaction.
Article 8
Business Brokers serving as both an agent and principal should disclose the dual agency relationship to the principals of the transaction.
Article 9
Business Brokers having a present or contemplated interest concerning a business property or its value should disclose such interest to the principals of the transaction.
Article 10
Business Brokers, acting as an agent, accepting any commission, rebate, or profit due to expenditures made on behalf of the principal should disclosure and obtain consent from the principal.
Article 11
Business Brokers undertaking to provide specialized services concerning a type of property or a service outside their field of competence should disclose such facts, or engage the assistance of one who is competent on such types of property or service. Any persons engaged to provide such assistance should be so identified to the client and their contribution to the assignment should be set forth.
Article 12
Business Brokers should only advertise business opportunities as being for sale when they have written authority. All offerings or promotions of business opportunities should reflect the terms consistent with those in writing with the client.
Article 13
All written offers will be submitted to the client unless otherwise directed by the client.
Article 14
Business Brokers will not engage in the practice of disclosing the terms of one buyer's offer to another buyer.
Article 15
Business Brokers shall not deny equal access of professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. Business Brokers shall not be a party to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.


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IATF 16949 – Melbourne, FL
Looking for Melbourne Florida IATF 16949 Services?
Discover the best Melbourne, FL IATF 16949 services. IATF 16949 is a quality management system certification that accounts for companies involved in the design and development, production and, when relevant, installation and service of automotive-related products. And with Melbourne, FL becoming a hub for advanced automotive manufacturing, becoming certified in IATF 16949 is essential for any business looking for future success.
Get On The Right Track for IATF 16949 Melbourne, FL
Melbourne, FL IATF 16949 Services
At simpleQuE, we provide a wide variety of IATF 16949 services to companies in Melbourne, FL, which include:
Consulting Capabilities
- Gap analysis
- Internal and supplier audits
- First-time systems development for certification or accreditation
- Upgrading certification or accreditation to a new standard
- Simplifying your current quality system
- Defining processes and process mapping
- Documentation and systems implementation
- Crisis management, recall support, recall preparedness
- Software solutions and more
- Problem solving, corrective actions, root cause analysis
Audits and Gap Analysis
- A thorough analysis to determine what needs to be implemented or changed
- Identify where you're in compliance and focus on areas that need work
- Results in project management tool that assures projects are completed on time
Training Courses
- Customized on-site training utilizing your own company's examples
- On-the-job training with hands-on examples
- 50- and 100-day follow-ups for increased levels of sustained behavior change of attendees
- Internal auditor, standards review, executive overviews, root cause analysis and problem solving are just a few of the offerings that can be customized for your needs
Learn More About Our IATF 16949 Melbourne, FL Training Courses
simpleQuE's Melbourne, FL IATF 16949 Services
Through hands-on training and consulting, we don't just improve your current quality systems; we set you up for future success as well. We have experience from every side of the table, so we know what it takes to maintain a quality management system.


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Dog ownership
Under construction
After weeks or months of planning and consideration, you made the decision to get another dog. Two dogs are as easy to take care of as one dog, if your first dog has been well trained and will model good dog-manners to the new dog. However, adding a second canine to the household is financially more expensive and requires more time (in terms of training, feeding, walking, and picking up after your dogs), and may reveal underlying behavioral problems in your dog. As a multiple dog household, we encourage people that are ready for the responsibility to add that second dog to the household. Benefits of a second dog include: more love/companionship, saving a dog from a shelter, a playmate for your current dog, etc.
Before you adopt, keep these things in mind:
1. Is Your Dog Ready for a Playmate?
Before adding a second dog, you should decide whether or not your dog is ready for a playmate. Determine if your dog has any underlying behavioral issues that need to be addressed, such as: separation anxiety, excessive barking, leash-reactivity to dogs or humans, pulling excessively on leash, house-training accidents, destructiveness, and aggression towards humans, dogs, or other small animals. New dogs can and will mirror your other dog's behaviors, both good and bad. One fido terror can suddenly turn into two and require twice as much work. Two badly behaved dogs make life miserable for both your family and the dogs.
Many behaviorists recommend waiting a year before getting your dog a playmate. It can take upwards of 6 months for a dog to adjust to a new environment, followed by another 6 months of quality bonding with owners and learning house rules and commands. Integrating another dog sooner than a year is very achievable, but the owner will need to be sure to establish leadership through house rules and boundaries to ensure success.
2. Selecting the Right Dog
You want your second dog to be compatible with you current dog. Think about these common dog traits:
Is your dog older or a couch potato? Bringing in a high-energy breed or young puppy could be very annoying to your current dog. Instead, find a dog whose energy is most like your current dog.
Is your dog dominant/assertive? Adding an additional dominant dog to the family can be the recipe for disaster. Instead think of adding a slightly more submissive dog.
Is your current dog fearful or have low confidence? Adding a slightly more assertive/confident dog can help your current dog become more confident.
Does your dog prefer playing with males or females? If you know this preference, consider adopting that gender. In most situations, it is easier for a male to live with a female. However, with proper leadership, females can peaceful coexist with other females, and males with males.
Think about the size differences when selecting the second dog. If you have an extra-large dog, a teacup Chihuahua may not be the appropriate choice. During play, a large or extra-large dog can unintentionally cause serious damage to a small dog (stepping or sitting on the smaller dog, etc.). It is possible to have canines of vastly different sizes, but it will take careful monitoring and management of play on the owner's part.
3. The Introduction
The Barking Lot volunteers will handle the introduction during your play date to ensure it is done properly and to make recommendations for you. Once the dog is adopted, the introduction at your home is up to you!
When you bring your new dog home from the shelter, take your family dog outside or to a neutral area (park, etc.) and repeat the greeting of the two dogs.
a) Make sure each dog has a handler. Keep the dogs on their leashes by your side and study their body language.
b) If both dogs are happy to see each other, wait until they calm down before you let the calmer dog slowly approach the other dog. You can drain some of this excitement by taking a walk with the dogs, where the handlers will walk side-by-side but far enough apart so the dogs can't interact while on leash. If they get too excited again, wait until they calm down before you move forward once more. Take your time, this process can take upwards of 10 minutes.
c) Ideally, dogs sniff nose to nose then nose to rear. Watch the sniffing closely as this is their first exposure to each other. If one dog growls, shows teeth, silently stares (fixates), or tries to put his or her head above the other dog's shoulders, firmly say "no" and regain the misbehaving dog's attention. Calmly separate the pair and repeat the process.
d) If none of the aforementioned warning signs are present, allow the dogs to act natural and monitor the interaction. Hold the leashes high in the air so the dogs can circle each other and not get tangled. If they start to play, or your dog walks back towards you without caring about the other dog, you have the "green light" from your family dog.
Let the dogs off leash and closely monitor their interactions.
When the dogs are comfortable with one another, bring them into your house. You must closely monitor your dogs' interactions for the first 24 hours. Make sure you have the time set aside to watch every interaction and playing session your dogs have together. It is your job to stop unwanted behavior before it escalates to dominance or even a fight.
4 Tips for Success
Here is a list of crucial tips to ensure both dogs will be successful during the transition period. Remember, the more precautions you take, the more successful the integration will be!
While the dogs are left alone, make sure to separate them with baby gates or crates. This will prevent any unwanted altercations while the dogs get to know each other.
Prevent food altercations by avoiding free-feeding. Feed twice a day and separate your dogs initially for feeding, e.g. in crates, separate rooms, or different corners of the same room.
Monitor your dogs when you give them bones, rawhides, and treats. Begin by giving these highly desirable items while your dogs are separated. When the dogs have more trust in your leadership, and you have trust in them, then begin monitoring "chew time" when the dogs are in the same room together. Never leave bones, rawhides unattended! For most dogs, this is a fight waiting to happen.
Make sure there are enough toys and beds to go around for both dogs. During the initial weeks, monitor toy play. Especially for rope toys or any toys that can result in a game of "Tug of War," and squeaky toys. Dogs with high prey drives can become possessive of squeaky toys, as the squeak sounds can resemble the sounds a small animal makes when it is being killed.
Monitor play time and be conscious of each other dog's body language, including those subtle cues: lip curls, ears back, hackles raised, tail held high, stiff body stance, and staring at the other dog. If you see these signs, correct the dog by telling it to go lie down and wait until it becomes mentally relaxed (you will see this through a change in body language). If the second dog did something to warrant such warnings by the first dog, make sure to give that dog the correction. Most play between a male and a female will be self-regulated (i.e female will correct when male plays too rough, humps, etc.). However, it is important to intervene and give a correction when the dog is not responding to the corrections given by the other dog. Realize that some dogs become vocal during playtime. Some people mistakenly take a "growl" to mean the dog is being vicious. However, the "growl" needs to be put into context: was it during a play bow? Did the other dog growl back? As long as the intensity of the play did not escalate, you can be assured that the other dog is just being "vocal" during playtime.
Make sure to give each dog individual attention, just as you would children. This can be achieved during training sessions, walks, and outings to the pet store and dog parks.
5. The All Important Walk
Daily walks are crucial to build and strengthen the bond within your pack. Dogs are pack animals. There is one alpha and the rest are the subordinates. Since dogs travel as a pack, following the alpha, it is crucial that you recreate the traveling experience with your dogs by walking them daily. The alpha dog is the one who leads the pack; therefore, you must walk in front and your dogs must follow by your side or behind you (heeling). Most dogs don't know how to "heel" instinctively so you will need train them. There are several teaching tools out there to train your dog how to "heel." The training tool I recommend, to teach your dog to "heel," is called a headcollar ("Halti's" or "Gentle Leader"). These tools go around the dog's snout and gives you control of their head and, in turn, their body and mind. First introduce the tool, associate it with mealtime or another enjoyable experience, not the walk. You want your dog to relate the headcollar with a positive experience. Your dog will probably protest and try to remove the tool with his or her paws but you must disagree with that action and say "leave it" when he or she tries to touch the headcollar. Leave the headcollar on during mealtime, and then remove it afterwards and praise the dog for wearing it. After two or three mealtimes, while wearing the headcollar, you will be ready to walk your dog using the tool.
Attach the leash to the headcollar and hold the leash 2" – 5" from where the leash attaches. (For smaller breed dogs, the distance will be greater but the method will be the same.) This gives you the ability to keep the dog by your side and not allow him or her to walk in front of you.
The dog's ears are not allowed to go past your knees. When he or she tries to walk past your knees, gently pull the leash towards your knees and say the word "back." (This action is known as a "correction.") Eventually you won't need to pull the leash to the side, the command "back" will enforce the boundary. For the first week, walk one dog at a time. Expect your first couple of walks to be slow, as you are training your dog how to heel. Through your consistency, your dog will understand that he or she cannot pass your knees, and begin to walk next to you or behind you.
Once you and your dogs have gone on enough training walks and you feel confident, you will be ready to walk both dogs at once. With one dog in each hand, you are ready to travel with your pack. It's your job to keep both dogs following you and your job to give corrections when one dog tries to pass your knee. You are the alpha and your dogs can only follow you. Your dogs sniff the bushes when you allow them to sniff the bushes, otherwise continue walking and say "with me." Controlling your dogs' actions proves your leadership to your dogs. They will learn that you control the walk and the pack.
Through your daily, structured walks, your dogs will respect you as the alpha and look towards you for guidance and direction. Daily, structured walking is how you establish your leadership.
After a month of careful supervision, correcting misbehavior, structured walking, and supervised feedings, your dogs will know you are the alpha and the new/old dog is not a threat. Once your dogs begin to feel safe with one another, their true personalities will come out and you will have two wonderful pack members to entertain you and love you for the rest of their lives.
Under construction
Under construction


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Bering Sea Expedition Continues on Dry Land
BERING SEA, Alaska — This past summer, the Greenpeace ship M/V Esperanza carried two manned submersibles, a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) and an international research team to the Bering Sea for a three week survey of Zhemchug and Pribilof Canyons,to map and document deepwater corals living at depths of more than 1,000 feet. The expedition was conceived of and was led by Greenpeace. 1planet1ocean president David E. Guggenheim participated as a sub pilot and scientific consultant. Pribilof and Zhemchug Canyons revealed diverse and complex ecosystems, rich with corals, sponges, fish and other marine life. They also revealed striking human impacts from trawlers, damage that was documented during the expedition. More than a terabyte of video data and numerous biological specimens are now being analyzed and results are being shared with a range of decisionmakers and decisionmaking bodies, including the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council.


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This information is posted to the XSL-List (and the XSL-List Digest) at intervals under the subject line "XSL-List guidelines". INTRODUCTION TO XSL-LIST XSL-List hosts discussion of XSL itself, XSL applications and implementation, and XSL user questions. XSL-List is open to everyone, users and developers, experts and novices alike. There is no restriction to what may be posted on the XSL-List provided it is related to XSL, which is considered to include XSLT, XPath, and XSL Formatting Objects (FO). XSL-List is not a W3C mailing list, and has no affiliation with W3C (or any official standing with any standards organization). However, XSL-List was established with the encouragement of members of the W3C XSL Working Group, and members of the Working Group are among the subscribers to the list. Only subscribers may post to XSL-List, but since the goal is to increase the level of XSL knowledge, XSL-List is being archived for everybody to view. The topics being discussed on the XSL-List change as new ideas arise or existing problems are dealt with, but the archive contains all of the ideas and solutions that have been discussed on the list. XSL-List is provided by Mulberry Technologies, Inc., as a service to the XSL user community. Mulberry is an XML and SGML consultancy specializing in applications that have a text design, processing, interchange, or display component. For more information about Mulberry Technologies, Inc. see http://www.mulberrytech.com SUBSCRIBING TO THE XSL-LIST To subscribe to the list, fill out the form at http://www.mulberrytech.com/lists/subscribe-unsubscribe.html. DAILY DIGEST Daily digests -- copies of a whole days XSL-List messages sent as one email message -- are available. Not only is it a single email message containing all of that day's XSL-List messages, it is also half the size, on average, of the individual messages since it doesn't include the overhead of the mail headers from each message. To subscribe to the digest, use the form at http://www.mulberrytech.com/lists/subscribe-unsubscribe.html, fill out the forms that are presented, respond to the emailed confirmation message, and after your subscription is successful select bMy Settingsb and click the box beside bDaily Digestsb. POSTING GUIDELINES Only subscribers can post to XSL-List, and only from the exact address they used when they subscribed. There is no restriction on what may be posted to the XSL-List provided it is related to XSL. Items concerning XML but without a direct connection to XSL should be posted to a XML-related list instead of to the XSL-List. Items related to DSSSL should be posted to the DSSSList. Do not begin your subject line with "help" or "subscribe" since the list software will bounce the message because it looks like is an administrative request. It is best to start a new message for a new thread. Do not start a new thread by replying to an unrelated message and just changing the subject line, since the header of your message will contain references to the previous message and your new message will appear in the archive as one of the replies to the original message. Both subscribers to the full list (xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) and subscribers to the digest should post their messages to xsl- list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; the messages will be received by both subscribers to the list and subscribers to the digest. BEFORE YOU POST ... DO YOUR HOMEWORK - Check that your question isn't already answered in the XSL-List archives at http://www.biglist.com/lists/xsl-list/archives/. - If you are asking for help with XSL code, determine which version of the language you are using (plus extensions, if any), and confirm that your XSL processor supports that version and/or extension. (If you are unsure of your processor, this can be determined by using the stylesheet at http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list/processor-version.xsl on any input, including the stylesheet itself: see http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list/processor-version.html for more information.) An XSLT 1.0 engine will not process stylesheets written in XSLT 2.0! IN YOUR POSTING ... Name the XSL processor, processor version, and version of the language you are using. This information is frequently necessary to diagnose a problem exactly, and always helps respondents give good advice. If you are replying to a post, trim the quoted message to just the parts to which you are replying. In addition to following simple rules of net etiquette and common sense, you will improve the chances that you will receive prompt and helpful responses by: - Asking questions specific enough that answers are possible. Describe what you are trying to do, how you approached it, what happened, and why you don't like the result you got. Don't simply say "it gave me an error": paste in the error message (someone else can probably make sense of it). - Illustrating your question with a demonstration of the problem. Well-composed questions frequently include a small XML sample, an XSLT stylesheet, the results received, and the result that was desired - all in miniature, to make it comprehensible to readers new to your problem. (It is also not uncommon to discover what a problem actually is in the process of reducing it to an illustrative version.) USE INFORMATIVE SUBJECT LINES When posting to the XSL-List, do not use uninformative subject lines like "Urgent", "Question", or "Newbie HELP!!!", which don't say anything about what your problem is. Instead, use a meaningful subject line that will make sense to the people whose help you are trying to get. It may even get a response from people who normally shy away from "beginner" questions. Informative subject lines make the XSL-List archive more useful since people with the same problem will more easily find the relevant threads. DO NOT CROSS-POST Cross-posting to the XSL-List and to another list, even XML-Dev or the DSSSList, is generally counter-productive. No list's archive will contain the complete thread; cross-posts from non-subscribers continuing the thread will bounce; and XSL-List subscribers who are not also on the other list will only see half the thread, as will those on the other list who are not also reading XSL- List. Subscribers to both lists may see two copies of the message, annoying them as well. REPLIES GO TO THE LIST The reply address of XSL-List messages (and of digests) is xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx so REPLIES GO TO THE LIST BY DEFAULT. If you want to reply to just the author of a post, you should change the "To:" field in your reply. USE SHORT QUOTES OF PREVIOUS MESSAGES IN REPLIES Please do not quote entire messages just to add a few lines at the beginning or end. Instead, quote the parts to which you are directly replying or quote enough to establish the context. Everybody on the list has already received the message that you are quoting, and anyone searching the archive will find your message and the previous message listed under the same thread. Subscribers to the XSL-List will just ignore most of the quoted messages and move to the next post, but subscribers to the XSL-List Digest will mostly have to page past the quoted messages to reach the next material in which they are interested in reading. POSTINGS MUST BE IN PLAIN TEXT ONLY Postings to XSL-List must be in plain text only. The XSL-List does not allow HTML postings because many users cannot display them appropriately, and because they are unnecessarily large. ATTACHMENTS ARE BANNED Since Mulberry's mailing lists have in the past been unwittingly used for spreading viruses in e-mail attachments, all e-mail attachments are banned from the XSL-List. XSL stylesheets are XML files, and XML files are text files, so this does not affect the majority of posts to the list since you can include the files' text in the body of your message. If you need to refer to a binary file such as a PDF file, you should put the file on a Web site or FTP site and include the file's URL in your XSL-List post. If you do include an attachment in your XSL-List post -- even a HTML attachment -- your message will bounce. YOUR POST WILL BE PERMANENTLY ARCHIVED Because it is a public resource created by and for the entire XSL community, we do not edit XSL-List. Therefore, it is responsibility of list subscribers not to post anything to the list that they do not want publicly available, possibly for a very long time. Postings in the list archives will be complete, including: all contents, examples, sample data, code or code fragments, and email header and footer contents. An automated process will obscure the domain portion of email addresses (the part after the @ sign).in the headers and footers of postings, but no guarnantee is made that this process will be completely successfull. Other than this, all postings will be archived in public as received. Further, we at Mulberry could not, even if we wanted to, edit all of the archives of XSL-List. Several third-parties have created unofficial archives of XSL-List, often without asking, or even informing, Mulberry. Postings to XSL-List will be included in an unknown and ever-changing variety of web publications. If you don't want your questions/comments/answers in public view don't post them to XSL-List. THIRD-PARTY ARCHIVES OF XSL-LIST Third parties are welcome to create searchable or reference archives of XSL-List provided they adhere to the following guidelines: - the material is clearly labelled as being from XSL-List, with an acknowledgement of Mulberry's role as provider of XSL-List - there is a navigable pointer to the official list page at http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list/ either on every posting or associated with the user interface such that it is visible with the postings - list postings are unedited - either the entire archive of the list is provided or there is a clearly stated method for selecting the subset of the list that is provided Mulberry does not provide these third parties with help to create these archives, does not endorse particular third party archives, and has no control over the ways in which they present the material in their systems. People or organizations that publish the contents of XSL-List without following the guidelines above are being very antisocial. Please bookmark either the official XSL-List archive or one provided by a service that plays nicely in the community and shun those who do not give credit where credit it due. UNSUBSCRIBING FROM THE XSL-LIST To unsubscribe from XSL-List, use the form at http://www.mulberrytech.com/lists/subscribe-unsubscribe.html or click on the bEasyUnsubscribeb link at the bottom of any message you receive from the list. If you have difficulties unsubscribing from the list make sure you are unsubscribing EXACTLY the email address that is subscribed. IF YOU STOP GETTING XSL-LIST MESSAGES If you stop receiving XSL-List message, you may have been removed because mail to you was bouncing. You are not being picked on, and you can just rejoin the list. ARCHIVE XSL-List messages are archived at http://www.biglist.com/lists/xsl-list/archives/. REPORTING BUGS IN SOFTWARE Bugs in software should firstly be reported to its author rather than to the XSL List. Questions regarding how to work around bugs are welcome, but the list does not function as a bug-tracking system for any software. INFORMATION ON XSL The W3C information on XSL is at http://www.w3.org/Style/XSL. Mulberry's Quick References are at http://www.mulberrytech.com/quickref/ and cover XSLT, XPath, and XQuery. DSSSLIST -- THE DSSSL USERS' MAILING LIST Mulberry Technologies, Inc., also provides the DSSSList -- the DSSSL Users' Mailing List. For subscription information and the DSSSList archive, see http://www.mulberrytech.com/dsssl/dssslist. CONTACT If you have any questions or problems, please contact xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ADMINISTRATIVE COMMUNICATIONS The list administrator will reply to emailed questions relating to the mechanics and administration of XSL-List and to help new users learn to use the list. However, the administrator will not take the time to navigate mazes of any sort in order to do so. If the list owner's messages are rejected by a user's anti-spam system the list owner will not pursue the matter. Similarly, if list-related notices to a subscriber are rejected as spam the subscriber will be unsubscribed. CHANGE History ============== November 1, 2017 - btu. 14. Changed owner contact address to xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx . ============== May 1, 2014 - btu. 13. Removed prohibition from sending Base64 messages to the list because I think they are compatible with the new list software. 12. Modified instructions on subscribing and unsubscribing to the list. ============== December 26, 2011 - btu. 11. Clarified instructions on unsubscribing from the digest version of the list. ============== May 5, 2009 - btu. 10. Added paragraph clarifying that all content will be archived in public, including text, examples, code, and email headers and footers including names. ============== February 1, 2008 - btu. 9. Policy on third-party archives added. 8. Policy banning attachments and postings in Base 64 clarified. ============== September 1, 2007 - btu. 7. Administrative communication policy clarified. ============== October 1, 2005 - btu. 6. Mulberry Technologies' relationship to XSL-List clarified. We do the work. We pay the bills. Organizations who post unauthorized copies of the archive without acknowledging Mulberry's contribution are not playing nicely in the community. ============== March 2, 2005 - btu. 4. Users are asked to identify the version of XSLT and XPath they are using for questions that are specific to one version 5. Clarifying the policy on editing the list archive (we don't edit it). ============== March 30, 2004 - btu. 1. All references to subscribing and unsubscribing have been updated to reflect changes in the list management system. 2. Pointers to the XSL and XPath specification were removed. There are now so many specifications and draft specifications relevant to XSL that it is more practical to simply point to W3C's XSL page. 3. A few typographical errors were corrected.
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Deployment Automation with Octopus Deploy and TeamCity, Feb. 12 Webinar
You're probably familiar with building and testing code in TeamCity, but how do you deploy the built artifacts? How do you promote your deployments between development, test, staging and production environments, while keeping the process reliable, automated and secure? Octopus Deploy can help to solve this problem, by integrating with TeamCity to push your changes out into production.
In this session, Paul will walk through the process of building, testing, packaging and deploying an ASP.NET web applications and Windows Services into different environments using Octopus Deploy and TeamCity. This free webinar will take place Tuesday, February 12th from 15:00 – 16:00 CET (Central European Time). Space is limited; please register now.
About Paul Stovell
Paul is a .NET developer and founder of Octopus Deploy, an automated release management solution for developers on the .NET stack. Paul built the product in 2011 with a goal of making repeatable, automated deployments easy. Prior to working full time on Octopus, Paul spent years as a developer, consultant and trainer focussed on WPF, ASP.NET MVC and application architecture, working in industries ranging from investment banking to health care to mining. He is a Microsoft MVP for WPF, and has spoken at many user groups, code camps and Microsoft conferences around Australia. Paul recently returned to Australia after a year of working in London.


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Deborah E. LipstadtDorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies, Tam Institute for Jewish Studies and Department of Religion, (On-Leave)
Lipstadt's book, The Eichmann Trial, published by Schocken/Nextbook Series in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Eichmann trial, was called by Publisher's Weekly, "a penetrating and authoritative dissection of a landmark case and its after effects." The Kennedy School's David Gergen described it as "a powerfully written testimony to our ongoing fascination with the proceedings, the resonance of survivor tales, and how both changed our understanding of justice after atrocity."
The New York Times Book Review described Lipstadt as having "done a great service by . . . recovering the event as a gripping legal drama, as well as a hinge moment in Israel's history and in the world's delayed awakening to the magnitude of the Holocaust." Her conclusions, The Times notes "are rendered with devastating fairness." The Washington Post observed that "The Eichmann Trial makes an excellent primer on a landmark event. With impressive authority and commendable concision, Lipstadt frames and explores . . . the vast universe of moral quandaries thrown open by the Eichmann trial. [And] makes a welcome contribution to our record of the 20th century's most horrifying and depressing episode." The Wall Street Journal described the book as "a thoughtfully researched and clearly written account of the courtroom proceedings and of the debates spurred by the trial."
Her book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2006) is the story of her libel trial in London against David Irving who sued her for calling him a Holocaust denier and right wing extremist. The book won the 2006 National Jewish Book Award and was first runner up for the Koret Award. It received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. The latter called it a "fascinating and meritorious work of legal-and moral-history." The editors at Amazon.com listed it as the fourth best non-fiction history book of 2005. The book has been optioned for a movie by Participant Pictures and BBC Films and is currently in active development.
David Irving v. Penguin/Deborah Lipstadt was described by the Daily Telegraph (London) as having "done for the new century what the Nuremberg tribunals or the Eichmann trial did for earlier generations." The Times (London) described it as "history has had its day in court and scored a crushing victory." The judge found David Irving to be a Holocaust denier, a falsifier of history, a racist, and anti-Semite. According to The New York Times, the trial "put an end to the pretense that Mr. Irving is anything but a self-promoting apologist for Hitler." In July 2001 the Court of Appeal resoundingly rejected Irving's appeal of the judgement against him.
Her book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory (Free Press/Macmillan, 1993) is the first full length study of those who attempt to deny the Holocaust. It was the subject of simultaneous front page reviews in The New York Times and The Washington Post.
At Emory she created the Institute for Jewish Studies and was its first director from 1998-2008. She directs the website known as HDOT [Holocaust Denial on Trial/ www.hdot.org ] which, in addition to cataloging legal and evidentiary materials from David Irving v. Penguin Books and Deborah Lipstadt, contains answers to frequent claims made by deniers. This section, Myths and Facts, received a grant from the Conference for Material Claims against Germany for the translation of the site into Arabic, Farsi, Russian, and Turkish. The site is frequently accessed in cities throughout Iran. Its seventh most visited country is Saudi Arabia.
Lipstadt was an historical consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and helped design the section of the Museum dedicated to the American Response to the Holocaust. She was appointed by President Clinton to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council on which she served two terms. She was a member of its Executive Committee of the Council and chaired the Educational Committee and Academic Committee of the Holocaust Museum. Dr. Lipstadt has been called upon by members of the United States Congress to consult on political responses to Holocaust denial. From 1996 through 1999 she served as a member of the United States State Department Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. In this capacity she, together with a small group of leaders and scholars, advised Secretary of State Madeline Albright on matters of religious persecution abroad. In 2005 she was asked by President George W. Bush to be part of a small delegation which represented the White House at the 60th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz.
On April 11, 2011, the 50th anniversary of the start of the Eichmann Trial Dr. Lipstadt gave a public address at the State Department on the impact of the trial.
Dr. Lipstadt has also written Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust (Free Press/MacMillan, 1986, 1993). The book, an examination of how the American press covered the news of the persecution of European Jewry between the years 1933 and 1945, addresses the question "what did the American public know and when did they know it?"
In 2009 she was in residence at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as the Burton Resnick Invitational Scholar in Antisemitism.
She received her B.A. from City College of New York (1969) and her M.A. (1972) and Ph.D. (1976) from Brandeis University. Professor Lipstadt is frequently called upon by the media to comment on a variety of matters. She has appeared Good Morning America, NPR's Fresh Air, the BBC, Charlie Rose Show, and is a frequent contributor to and is widely quoted in a variety of newspapers and journals including the Chronicle of Higher Education, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs awarded her its highest honor, the Albert D. Chernin Award given to "an American Jew whose work best exemplifies the social justice imperatives of Judaism, Jewish history and the protection of the Bill of Rights, particularly the First Amendment." Previous winners included Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Professor Alan Dershowitz.
In 2006 she was elected to the American Academy of Jewish Research, the oldest organization of Judaic scholars in North America. Fellows are nominated and elected by their peers and thus constitute the most distinguished and most senior scholars teaching Judaic studies at American universities.
She serves as a non-fiction judge for the Sami Rohr Book Prize. This 100,000 dollar award is given to the best new author of non-fiction books on Jewish topics.
She has received numerous teaching awards including Emory's student government association's award for being the teacher most likely to motivate students to learn about new and unfamiliar topics and the Emory Williams award, for her courses on modern Jewish and Holocaust studies. Given to Emory's outstanding teachers, the award is based on nominations by alumni of the professor who has had the greatest impact on them.
She has received Honorary Doctorates from Ohio Wesleyan, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Yeshiva University, Bar Ilan University, Jewish Theological Seminary, and Hebrew Union College. The Forward named her number two on its list of the "Forward Fifty": the fifty top Jewish newsmakers for the year 2000.
- PhD, Brandeis University, 1976
- MA, Brandeis University, 1972
- BA, City College of New York, 1969
Research and Teaching
- Holocaust studies
- Antisemitism
- Religious persecution abroad
- Media and religion
- Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory
- Beyond Belief: The American Press And The Coming Of The Holocaust
- History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust
- Denier The Eichmann Trial


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Japanese balloon artist Rie Hosokai uses latex balloons to create unique dresses that can only be worn 24 hours before they deflate and change color in hot weather.
The latex balloons are inflated and hand-woven in different directions both vertically and horizontally, creating a texture similar to fabric. The amount of air that goes into each balloon is pretty hard to estimate when adjusting the size and volume of the dress, but the 35-year-old artist has been working with balloons for 10 years so she has everything pretty much figured out. She started her career as a florist, before switching to balloon art and opening her very own studio, Daisy Balloon, where she creates all kinds of inflatable artworks.
Although her "fabric" is very inexpensive (just ¢0.09 cents a balloon), the dresses Rie Hosokai makes sell for thousands of dollars. They last only 24 hours before starting to seriously deflate, must be kept away from sharp objects and change color at high temperatures, yet these designer balloon dresses cost between ¥150,000 and ¥300,000 ($1,930 – $3,860). She has even sold a full set of balloon-made wedding dress, headpiece and bouquet for ¥1 million ($13,000).
Photo by Hiroshi Manaka
Rie Hosokai began making balloon wedding dresses two years ago, and so far she has sold 20 inflatable creations that she says lift people's spirits and reminds them of childhood. "You can wow people at parties or weddings with a balloon dress. They'll be surprised, " she told Reuters reporter Hyun Oh.
Photo by Hiroshi Manaka


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The winner of a $10 GC to Daisy Doodles is...
#3 - Ellen
Congrats! Please email me so that I can get your prize to you and don't forget to grab your badge from the link on the title bar.
Top 3 goes to...
#2 - Lalkygirl
#8 - Dora
#10 - Alie
Congrats! Don't forget to grab your badges as well.
For this next challenge we welcome Glitterbabes as our sponsor. They have the most gorgeous images. You should definitely go check out their store.
Here is a little bit about them...
"GLITTERBABE'S ART is a digital stamp store specializing in a variety of images. my heart leans towards florals so you will find a wide range to choose from. All my images are done in jpg format only and all my images come with a colored image. Having that colored image is great when you need to create something in a hurry or just need that color guide. I strive for quality product and work hard to give my very best. I have tons of fun with it and I hope you do too! "
They are giving the winner 2 images of their choice. Thanks so much!
OK, now the challenge. We are going to have a nice and easy one this time after a rather difficult one. We want to see "Happy Birthday" on your cards and projects.
Here are the gorgeous cards of the DT...
This challenge will run until Tuesday, October 11.


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We aim to ship all items within 5 business days. Delivery to the UK can take between 3 – 5 days from date of postage and up to 2 weeks for the rest of the world.
During holiday seasons the mail can take longer.
Taxes / Duties
Generally, only goods shipped outside the EC may incur duties or border taxes, though this depends on your country. Paying any levied taxes are the customer's responsibility — please ring your local advice bureau for more information.


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Employers cut back on hiring in April and more people stopped looking for work, troubling signs for President Barack Obama whose re-election prospects could hinge on his handling of the economy. Employers added 115,000 workers to payrolls last month, the Labor Department said on Friday. It was the third straight month in which hiring had slowed, intensifying fears the U.S. recovery is losing momentum.
Even a slight drop in the unemployment rate to 8.1 percent had a dark tone because the fall was due entirely to people dropping out of the workforce."The bottom line is you don't have evidence that this economy has reached escape velocity," said Robert Tipp, an investment strategist at Prudential Fixed Income.
Analysts had expected 170,000 new jobs in April, and the shortfall could open the door a bit wider for the Federal Reserve to step up efforts to help the economy. Major U.S. stock indexes tumbled, with the broad S&P index ending down more than 1.5 percent and yields on benchmarkU.S. government bonds sliding to lows not seen in months.Still, the report was not all negative. The government revised upward earlier estimates for payroll growth in February and March by a combined 53,000 jobs.
The report could rattle nerves at the White House. Weak U.S. growth and high unemployment create a formidable headwind for Obama, who entered office during the darkest days of the 2007-09 recession. Obama, who will hold his first campaign rallies on Saturday, said he would urge Congress next week to implement "common-sense ideas" to accelerate job growth. "We've got to do more if we're going to recover all the jobs lost in the recession," he told a group of students in the Washington suburb of Arlington, Virginia.
Obama's Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, repeated accusations that Obama has not done enough to help Americans get back to work. "We seem to be slowing down, not speeding up. This is not progress. This is very, very disappointing," he told Fox News.
RELATED: The American Entrepreneur: A Dying Breed?
The unemployment rate, which soared to as high as 10 percent during Obama's first year in office, held near 9 percent for most of last year before falling sharply over the winter.The decline had raised hopes that the economy had turned a corner. Those hopes dimmed on Friday. Even with the latest decline, the jobless rate remains about 2 percentage points higher than its average over the last 50 years, and the Fed thinks the labor market probably won't be at full health until at least after 2014.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last month the U.S. central bank is providing enough support for the economy but kept open the possibility of a fresh round of bond purchases to lower borrowing costs should the economy weaken. "They obviously are going to be on guard now that employment growth is not picking up," said Sean Incremona, an economist at 4Cast.
Many economists think the weakness evident in the labor market over the last few months is largely payback for stronger hiring during a mild winter. That would temper fears the economy is losing steam. Still, the employment report included several ominous numbers. The participation rate, a measure of how many Americans are looking for work, fell to a 30-year low at 63.6 percent of the population. The retirement of baby boomers has helped push that rate lower but many people also have stopped looking for work because they are discouraged by a sour jobs market. People must be actively seeking work to count as part of the labor force.
The report also showed government payrolls contracted by 15,000, the biggest loss since November. Public payrolls have been under pressure as politicians worry about heavy debt loads and lackluster tax revenues.
The private sector added 130,000 new positions, with manufacturing adding a strong 16,000 jobs. Jobs in transportation and warehousing shrank by almost 17,000.
Additional reporting by Luciana Lopez and Chris Reese


text: Wrap your lens or a compact device such as an external hard drive, power cord, or charger in this blue 15 x 15" Padded Equipment Wrap from Ruggard. This padded nylon accessory conforms to a variety of shapes and gear ensuring additional protection for long or short distances. Water-resistant 420-D nylon provides a smooth surface on the interior of the wrap. A softer nylon exterior allows any one of the four oversized touch-fastening corners to firmly attach for an effective layer of protection when tucked in a bag or set aside for storage. Durable top stitching around the edges ensures staying power through repeated use.


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Listen to a Previously Unreleased Outtake of the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper' Title Track
Beatles fans have to wait until May 26 for the 50th anniversary deluxe reissue of the band's classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to arrive, but in the meantime, they can catch a sneak peek at the expanded set's contents courtesy of a previously unreleased take on the title track.
Listed as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Take 9 and Speech)," this version is substantially similar to the one we all know by heart, but still obviously a rougher early run-through; the assorted sonic filigrees that padded out the final release (including crowd noises and a brass arrangement) are missing, and it sounds like the group was still working through ideas for vocals. As noted by the Guardian, where the track is streaming exclusively, it all adds up to an "intriguing glimpse" at the creative process that birthed the LP.
As previously reported, the Pepper's anniversary reissue will be available in a number of configurations, including a two-CD Deluxe edition, a Deluxe vinyl version and a four-CD/DVD/Blu-ray Super Deluxe box. Depending on which version fans purchase, they can expect to find everything from a fresh stereo remix of the record to high-res audio files, a documentary and promotional films. In addition to reams of bonus material, "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane," the double A-sided single that was released shortly before the album and left off, is included in the set.
While the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's, surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both have busy schedules mapped out for the year. McCartney recently added a new spate of dates to his current tour, while Starr is set to return to the road this fall — and both men are reportedly readying new albums for release later this year.
42 Awesome Takes on the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's' Album Cover Art


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- This event has passed.
Sharing Space: Chickens
08.13.22 at 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
$50Philosopher Lao Tzu has written that "Silence is a source of great strength."
This particular event allows a limited group of individuals to partake in the silent sharing of space with various groups of the manor's residents.
The first 30 minutes will involve specific introductions concerning the residents being featured that day–their stories, their behavior, their culture– and how to prepare yourself to be sharing their space.
What follows will be an hour of sitting with and among the featured residents, in silence, as they determine the level and amount of personal interaction.
The final 30 minutes will feature a wrap-up and discussion on the day's experience.


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Construct Stool
NaughtOneConstructed from laser-cut, folded steel and held together by aluminum aircraft rivets, the Construct Stool is the epitome of honest design. Balanced by a solid wood seat, this industrial feel works effortlessly in a wide range of environments. The powder coat base comes in a range of colors. Available in three heights.
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Where in the world is Blithewold? (a lovestory)
Blithewold is R.I.ght here!
Like many other tycoons and coal barons in the late 19th century, the Van Wickles decided Rhode Island, a southern facing scoop of shore between Connecticut and Cape Cod, was where to "summer". The insanely wealthy came en masse in high summer from the sweltering south to build outrageously palatial "cottages" in the cool sea breezes of the Ocean State. Newport was the famous choice of the rich and fabulous but Augustus Van Wickle chose little industrial Bristol because he was able to purchase 70 beautiful bayside acres with deep water moorage out front for his yachts. The quality and quantity of land was more important to him than the prestigious folderol of summering in Newport – the Van Wickles spent long summers and holidays at Blithewold actually enjoying their property rather than endlessly attending society parties.
Rhode Island is pretty special. It's the smallest state in the union and has the longest name. Remember "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" the next time you play Trivial Pursuit. R.I. was founded on religious freedom, was the first state to declare independence, and the last (of the first 13) to ratify the constitution. The state motto is Hope, our bird is a chicken (Rhode Island Red), the state drink is coffee milk and our official shellfish is the quahog. (Does your state have a drink or a clam?) With a population of just over one million, we're the size of a small city and everybody knows everybody or is somebody's cousin. We have a skewed perception of distance and time – no place in the state is more than an hour and a half away from another but to go "off island" is an expedition (we pack a lunch). And we always give directions based on what used to be there ("turn right where the Almacs used to be…") which tends to frustrate tourists and newcomers. Rhode Islanders garden in about 3 different zones – from 5 to 7a – in a state that could fit inside Yellowstone Park.
Bristol (zone 6) is a town of 22,500 in the East Bay. We are nearly surrounded by salt water – Narragansett Bay on the one hand and Mt. Hope Bay on the other. Bristol is the home of the oldest (longest, loudest, bestest) 4th of July parade in the country and I think Bristol gardens are also particularly outstanding. Bristol has a sizeable Portuguese community, many of whom emigrated from volcano infested Azores and brought a beautiful and utilitarian garden culture with them. A few years ago the Bristol Garden Club helped sponsor a Portuguese Garden tour and I've never seen such lovely city gardens – every inch under cultivation with grape arbors, orchards, vegetables and ornamentals in cheek-by-jowl neighborhood backyards.
The climate in R.I. seems particularly conducive to gardening. The weather is constantly changable and we enjoy four lengthy seasons (though spring has a tendency to feel an awful lot like winter up until the moment it feels like summer) that aren't any longer than they ought to be. Right when we're truly ready for summer to end, fall falls. And though I was just talking to another professional gardener last night who said she didn't want winter to be over quite yet (we're still enjoying our rest), I'm sure in a few weeks it will seem like the most perfect thing to be back outside full-time cutting back and tidying up.
I really love Rhode Island. I moved away when I was 18 and for the next fourteen and a half years the biggest little called to me. "Come back!", said little rhody. So I did. The Van Wickle McKees loved it too and eventually made Blithewold their year-round residence. Thank you to Jodi at Bloomingwriter for suggesting we all tell our garden's geography story.


text: There are so many occasions for which a dress is the most appropriate thing to wear. At Soft Surroundings, we've curated a collection of women's short dresses that offer our customers something beautiful for just about every occasion.You could start your search with some of our fun short dresses that are perfect for a day sitting at the beach, strolling around your favorite resort, or hanging out with friends. They come in a variety of styles, fabrics and colors so you can pick one that both suits your mood and the temperature.Of course, there are times when you feel like dressing up, and this collection doesn't disappoint. You'll find more formal styles that are appropriate for any occasion, including special events and romantic evenings. As you've come to expect from Soft Surroundings, all of our short dresses are incredibly soft and comfortable: Check the softness rating to be sure that the dress that's caught your eye is the right one for you.


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A Syria expert offers three bold steps to hasten the end of Assad's regime.
This piece is part of "Obama and the Middle East: Act Two," a series of policy proposals for the president's second term by Washington Institute fellows.
The Assad regime's brutal suppression of the Syrian uprising has spurred a humanitarian disaster, with the United Nations now estimating over 60,000 killed and 3 million displaced. Syrians are now dying of starvation and exposure as food and medical supplies run desperately short. The regime continues to escalate its attacks with the use of artillery, combat aircraft, and, most recently, SCUD and reportedly Fatah 110 missiles against the armed and civilian opposition.
The Obama administration has repeatedly voiced its concern that the Assad regime is considering using its chemical weapons stockpile, which includes sarin nerve gas and mustard gas, against its domestic opponents. The U.S. government reportedly even investigated the possible use of a chemical agent last month in Homs. At the same time, Washington has refused to fulfill the opposition's request for more and better weapons that would help it end the regime's onslaught, sowing anti-American sentiment that is being increasingly harvested by Islamic extremists and al-Qaeda affiliates. There is now a real danger that the regime's chemical weapons could fall into the hands of militants sworn to destroy the United States and its regional allies.
With U.S. elections now settled, the Obama administration is less constrained by domestic U.S. politics and should now take bold steps to hasten the end of Assad's regime. The fight to take down the regime and its supporters may continue for some time, and divisions between opposition groups mean the struggle for what replaces it may be conflict-ridden as well. Even as the war continues, Washington should take steps to ease human suffering and place itself in a better position to secure chemical weapons from use in Syria and elsewhere.
First, Washington should use Patriot missile batteries in an offensive capacity against regime aircraft -- and deploy them defensively against SCUD and Fatah 110 missiles targeting opposition-dominated areas along Syria's borders with Turkey and Jordan. A package of the Patriot missiles recently deployed to southern Turkey augmented with an anti-aircraft capability, for example, could be used to carve out a 50-mile air exclusion zone from the Turkish border city of Kilis to Aleppo, Syria's largest city. This would help the opposition create vital "safe areas" where civilians could be secure in an organized fashion free from regime airstrikes as the war against Assad continues.
As an important ancillary benefit, such safe areas would provide a vital place for the exile-dominated National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SOC) to politically organize and provide assistance directly to Syrian civilians. If properly defended, diplomats, officials, and aid representatives from the international community could work side by side with Syrians to help alleviate suffering and build a viable government for post-Assad Syria. When fully "liberated" areas under opposition control expand beyond the border regions to Syria's interior, the United States and its allies could follow up with targeted air and missile strikes against Assad regime forces armed with chemical weapons or poised to carry out further mass atrocities.
Second, Washington should provide a package of intelligence-sharing, military training, and other security assistance to mainstream nationalist, non-extremist groups that have been vetted by Western countries, both to increase their military capabilities and in exchange for any chemical weapons captured from the regime's stockpiles. The package should be comprehensive enough to allow participant groups to more rapidly defeat the Assad regime's forces and more effectively secure chemical weapons. Groups receiving assistance would be required to allow U.S. and allied special forces to collect and secure captured stockpiles of chemical weapons.
Third, Washington and its allies should provide local communities supporting mainstream groups that cooperate with Washington's program to secure chemical weapons with a larger civil assistance program. Large swaths of Syrian urban and rural areas have been ravaged by war, and the task of providing services and rebuilding basic infrastructure will be extensive. Such a civil assistance program, if part of an overall strategy, would create a positive incentive for civilian communities to pressure armed groups operating in their areas to comply with the program in the short and medium term. This same system of incentives could also be leveraged to disincentivize ethnic cleansing.
Such an integrated plan would help alleviate the suffering of Syrians, reverse Washington's rapidly declining support among the opposition, and provide real inducements to armed groups that will soon take over large swaths -- if not the entirety -- of Syrian territory to hand over any captured chemical weapons to the United States and its allies. Washington's efforts could be combined with those of Russia, Assad's chief international patron, as well as China, to pressure the Assad regime or any Alawite-dominated rump regime to secure what remains of the regime's stockpile. This approach would help keep chemical weapons from being used not only in the struggle for Syria, but against its neighbors and the West. It would also create incentives for armed and civilian groups in Syria to cooperate and assume the responsibility that goes along with governing a post-Assad Syria.
Andrew J. Tabler is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute and author of In the Lion's Den: An Eyewitness Account of Washington's Battle with Syria.
The Atlantic


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In the wake of Idaho's recent ban on nearly all abortions, Oregon is investing millions in its abortion infrastructure as it prepares to receive an influx of patients seeking the procedure.
Barring legal intervention, the Idaho law will take effect April 22 and allows family members of what the law called a "pre-born child" to sue abortion providers for carrying out the procedure after six weeks. Many women are unaware they are pregnant at this early stage.
New Oregon legislation establishes a $15 million fund to cover costs for patients traveling to the state to receive abortions and the providers performing the procedure. Washington and California are among other states that have also recently fortified abortion access, but Oregon is the first state in the nation to pass a law of this kind.
The money is part of a strategy that abortion rights advocates have been advancing in states for more than a year.
"This conversation started to take place really immediately after Justice Ginsburg's passing," says Christel Allen, executive director of the group Pro-Choice Oregon and part of a coalition that lead the legislative effort.
When Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in 2020, many recognized the potential opportunity the court would have to gain a more conservative member and reconsider legal precedent protecting abortion. With Justice Amy Coney Barrett now installed on the court and a legal ruling on this issue expected in June of this year, advocates like Allen say they are preparing for the worst-case scenario.
"This situation that this state has never been in – this country has never been in – is going to require resources and the creation of new best practices," she says.
Some of the new state money will likely go to groups such as Northwest Abortion Access Fund that help patients pay for travel costs for abortion and associated expenses such as childcare or time off work.
Other money will go to places like Lilith Clinic in Portland. It is the only clinic in the state that provides later abortions, typically up to 22 weeks. For some, it is the only option. Patients often go to Lilith to end a pregnancy when they find out a fetus has a life-threatening abnormality, for example.
Christine Riewer, a medical assistant at Lilith Clinic, says she is committed to the work.
"I love it," she says. "I started doing it, and I was like, 'This is incredible I want to do it forever.' "
The job comes with unique challenges. Riewer points to the clinic's security cameras, which provide staff with a view of both the front and back door. "Our doors are always locked," she says. "We check ID."
Security at this clinic is one expense the new money from the state could cover. Oregon has designated the fund for creative uses exactly like this.
"What we are concerned about is the small amount of people for whom violence is possible," says Grayson Dempsey, a spokesperson for Lilith Clinic.
The majority of protests at the clinic are peaceful, says Dempsey. But security will become paramount if facilities have to close in other states and anti-abortion activists across the country are left with fewer protest targets.
"We not only need to hold the line here but we need to be prepared to be the focus of that attention," says Dempsey.
Other providers say the money could be used to create systemic changes in the state's healthcare system.
Dr. Helen Bellanca was providing abortions before she took a job at a clinic in the town of Hood River, Ore., that relied on federal funding. Restrictions prevent federal money from paying for abortions.
Bellanca couldn't offer the procedure to her patients, many of whom were migrant farmworkers. "I wanted to continue to provide abortions in my practice, but that was not possible," says Bellanca. "I think this fund is so important because it would allow communities to have flexibility to access that care."
She's since left that clinic, but she says using state dollars to pay for abortion costs would offer a workaround for providers in similar positions. "It's not about having a clinician willing to perform an abortion. It's about having systems in place and infrastructure in place to provide it."
Other uses for the $15 million fund could include support for telemedicine or the purchase of ultrasound equipment for rural clinics.
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade in a few months, as most legal analysts expect, Oregon could see an increase of 234 percent in incoming abortion patients from all over the country, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research group.
That disruption could set in motion a health care crisis in every state.
Christel Allen from Pro-Choice Oregon says it's time for states that support abortion rights to bring a full court press, as other states across the country are moving to restrict abortion access. "This gives us a chance," she says, "to actually start being an incubator for solutions that we then can help other states in passing, and moving forward."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Monday that the US Senate will take up President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill this week.
The American Rescue Plan has made its way to the Senate after passing a mostly party-line vote in the US House early Saturday morning. The legislation will need to return to the House for final approval before going to Biden for his signature.
The reason the bill will be returned to the House is because the Senate is expected to make some changes to the bill, namely removing a controversial $15 per hour minimum wage provision that a Senate parliamentarian ruled cannot remain in the bill.
"I expect a hardy debate and some late nights, but the American people sent us here with a job to do, to help the country through this moment of extraordinary challenge, to end through action the greatest health crisis our country has faced in a century," Schumer said.
Democrats are hoping to extend funding for several pandemic-related programs that began during the Trump administration. The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation is scheduled to expire in two weeks. Some may be eligible to receive benefits into early April under current guidelines.
The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation extended unemployment benefits to those whose benefits expired. It also provides benefits to those who generally wouldn't be able to access unemployment compensation, such as gig workers.
While Democrats are feeling urgency to getting the bill passed, Republicans are standing in the way.
"At about 2 on Saturday morning, House Democrats rammed through the bonanza of partisan spending they are calling a 'pandemic rescue' package," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. "Only democrats voted for it. Both Republicans and Democrats voted against it. Last year, under a Republican Senate and a Republican administration, Congress passed five historic coronavirus relief bills, five of them. Not one of the five bills got fewer than 90 votes in the Senate or less than about 80% over in the House. But alas, this time, Democrats have chosen to go a completely partisan route.
"Even famous liberal economists and liberal editorial boards are saying their half-baked plan is poorly targeted to what families need. So, we have gone from passing covid relief with 80% and 90% bipartisan supermajorities last year to the speaker of the House ramming this through with just 50.7% of the House on Friday night."
Democrats are touting the bill as a way to safely help students return to the classroom. There is $140 billion earmarked in the bill for schools, some of which will go toward personal protective equipment and pandemic-related expenses. Some of the funds, however, are set to be used to help schools avoid layoffs from decreased tax revenue.
"About 95% of that funding won't even go out this fiscal year, 95% of the school funding in this bill won't go out this year, and this is an emergency package?" McConnell said. "That's why they are pushing economic policies that would drag down our recovery."
The stimulus bill includes $1,400 checks for most Americans making less than $75,000 a year. It also includes $1,400 for eligible dependents. The proposal increases the child tax credit to $3,000 per year ($3,600 for children under age 6). And it extends enhanced unemployment benefits through September.
The bill also replenishes funds for small business grants, and adds nearly $130 billion for schools to retain staff and implement social distancing protocols.
Justin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk.Follow him on Twitter @jjboggs or on Facebook.


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Freemasonry is perhaps the most misunderstood, yet popular, "secret society" the world has ever known. And the most visible one. Every state in the United States and almost every country in the world has a Grand Lodge of Freemasons, and each has its own Web site. Freemasons wear rings, jackets, and hats emblazoned with the square and compass on them. Their cars often have Masonic license plates and bumper stickers identifying them. Masonic buildings are clearly marked, and their addresses and phone numbers are in the Yellow Pages. Some Grand Lodges have even started advertising on billboards. If the Freemasons are a secret, they need a refresher course on camouflage. Almost immediately after forming the first Grand Lodge in England in 1717, books trumpeting the secrets of the lodge began to arrive on shelves.
Masonry does have ceremonies it wants to keep private, along with methods of identification (passwords, handshakes, and others), just as corporations have information they want to keep private.
No simple, one-line definition satisfactorily describes what Freemasonry is. It is a philosophy and a system of morality and ethics — and a pretty basic one at that — but these are the main points that make Freemasonry different from any other organization:
- Freemasonry is a fraternity of men, bound together by oaths, based on the medieval stonemason craft guilds.
- Masonic laws, rules, legends, and customs are based on the Ancient Charges, the rules of those craft guilds.
- Freemasonry teaches lessons of social and moral virtues based on symbolism of the tools and language of the ancient building trade, using the building of a structure as a symbol for the building of character in men.
- Masons are obliged to practice brotherly love, mutual assistance, equality, secrecy, and trust between each other.
- Masons have secret methods of recognizing each other, such as handshakes, signs, and passwords.
- Masons meet in lodges that are governed by a Master and assisted by Wardens, where petitioners who are found to be morally and mentally qualified are admitted using secret ritual ceremonies based on the legends of the ancient guilds.
- Freemasonry is not a religion, and it has no religious dogma that it forces its members to accept. Masons must simply believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, whatever they conceive that deity to be. Their personal beliefs are just that: personal.
- Freemasonry is not a science, but it does teach its members to value learning and experience. It encourages Masons to think but does not tell them what to think.
- Freemasonry teaches Masons to be tolerant of the beliefs of others and to regard each man as their equal, deserving both their respect and their assistance.


text: Tara CummingsHello. I'm Tara…Tara Cummings. I'm 13 and will be starting high school in the fall. I used to be afraid to go to high school. I just knew I would be miserable. I didn't have any friends and it seemed all the kids wanted to do was to pick on me. Now, after meeting Trouble, I think I can handle it. I've made some friends and feel confident I can do it. I don't know how I could live without him. He's taught me so much. If you can't tell, Trouble is my very best friend. He's the main horse character from C.K. Volnek's novel, A Horse Called Trouble. He is so beautiful. He's what they call a bay—red with a black mane and tail and a white blaze down his face. At first I was scared of him. He was wild and crazy the first time I saw him, ready to kill anyone in his path. Then I realized he was just like me—picked on and abused—by Alissa. I met Trouble when I was forced into this horse therapy program at Freedom Farms. I've always loved horses, though until I was sent to the program I'd never been around one in real life. No, I lived in the city, stuck in the smelly, dirty, concrete city. I had hardly ever seen live grass even, let alone horses. If something did try to grow there, it was choked out by car exhausts and people tramping it. I used to wish I lived somewhere beautiful and green, like some place out of a travel magazine. Once, I found a bunch of 'Little House on the Prairie' videos in the dumpster out behind our apartment and I watched them over and over at Grandma Kay's. (She wasn't my real Grandmother, but I loved her as if she was. She took care of me when Mom was gone or drunk.) Anyway, I used to dream about running in the tall grass like Laura Ingalls does in the show. I never thought I would ever see that much grass. Going out to Freedom Farm was like a dream come true. It's the most beautiful place in the world. The farm is just outside the city, though it feels like it's light-years away. It's fresh and green, with tons of open spaces. Wide open pastures and white rail fences. Horses of all colors and sizes. Peaceful. And quiet. You can even see a million stars from there. I'd never smelled lilacs before I went there. Oh my gosh, I loved it! My first day at the farm, all the kids were gagging because of the smells. I guess it was pretty bad. A guy was cleaning out some really raunchy stalls. But once I got past that, the smells grew on me. I've even found myself getting used to the smell of horse sweat. At first I didn't want to be at the farm. I was sent there because I'd been set up. I didn't take Alissa's purse…and she knew it. But it was just like her to get me kicked out of our school for it. I learned a long time ago to just keep my mouth shut and try to stay as low as possible to keep off everyone's radar. Everyone expects me to be trouble. Partly because Mom was a drunk and partly because she dumped me, leaving me to fend for myself in foster care. I quit trying to prove to everyone I wasn't bad. I couldn't win. After getting kicked out of school, I was sent to alternative school and they made me go to this horse therapy program at the farm. It's a really neat program were they bring troubled kids and horses together. The horses are our teachers. I thought the instructor was so stupid the first day when she said that. How was I going to learn anything from a horse? But they do teach us—a lot. Horses could walk all over us if they wanted to, but instead they choose to work with us…if we work with them. They teach us about teamwork, respect and trust. I'll never forget the first day Clancy tried riding. Clancy is one of the other kids in our program. He was not working with Homer and Homer let him know it. I couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, that didn't go over so well with Clancy. I thought he was going to kill me. See, you have to understand, Clancy ruled Marvel's alternative school. Or so he thought. I accidently kicked him where no guy likes to get kicked the first day I got to Marvel's. I didn't mean to. He dumped me out of 'his' chair and my leg just kicked him there. Anyway, ever since, he's been after me. I tried to stay out of his way and hoped he'd forget. Except Alissa won't let that happen. Alissa hates me. And I don't know why. And she is so mean to Trouble, too. I had to do something to stop her from hurting him. That's when I found we had so much in common, we were both just misunderstood. And I guess because we were both tortured by Alissa, we could understand each other. We could see what she is—the problem is, no one else can. If I hadn't met Trouble when I did, there's no telling what would have happened to him…or me for that fact. He saved me as much as I saved him. I just hope we can keep Alissa from destroying us both. Well, I need to go. Feeding time will be here soon and Trouble likes his oats. Thanks for visiting with me. I hope you like, A Horse Called Trouble. TroubleComing soon


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